demote

verb

de·​mote di-ˈmōt How to pronounce demote (audio)
ˌdē-
demoted; demoting

transitive verb

1
: to reduce to a lower grade or rank
demote a student
was demoted from major to captain
2
: to relegate to a less important position
a pitcher demoted to the bullpen
demotion noun

Examples of demote in a Sentence

Teachers can choose to demote a student to a lower grade. The army major was demoted to captain.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Fernandez struggled with the big league club in April, posting an 11.42 ERA over 11 appearances before being demoted to Memphis. Katie Woo, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025 Her own beloved father – first a bank manager, then demoted to bank clerk – had drunk himself to death when Travers was only eight years old. Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 The Yankees cleared an active roster spot for Slater by demoting backup catcher J.C. Escarra to Triple-A. Slater, 32, hit .236 with a .721 OPS, five home runs and 11 RBI over 51 games for Chicago this season. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025 Henderson was not the only rookie demoted to the second-team offense, likely an effort by the coaching staff to field players around Maye who knew exactly where to be and what to do running new plays. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for demote

Word History

Etymology

de- + -mote (as in promote)

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of demote was in 1872

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demote. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

demote

verb
de·​mote di-ˈmōt How to pronounce demote (audio)
ˈdē-
demoted; demoting
: to reduce to a lower grade or rank
demotion noun

More from Merriam-Webster on demote

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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