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.
Ballard is a maverick who’s been demoted to assembling a volunteer team, literally in the basement, to review cold case files. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 6 July 2025 Then there is Liam Lawson, who was demoted from the Red Bull second seat down to Racing Bulls. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025 Several national security hawks have been ousted from Trump’s national security team including Mike Waltz, who was demoted from National Security Adviser to the less-powerful role of UN ambassador. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025 She was subsequently demoted, and her old job was given to a gay man. Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 12 June 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 18 Jul. 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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