demote

American  

[dih-moht] / dɪˈmoʊt /

verb (used with object)

demoted, demoting

1. to reduce to a lower grade, rank, class, or position (opposed to promote).

   They demoted the careless waiter to busboy.

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demote British  

/ dɪˈməʊt /

verb

1. (tr) to lower in rank or position; relegate

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Other Word Forms

• demotion noun

Etymology

Origin of demote

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; de- + (pro)mote

Explanation

To demote someone is to move them into a less important job. Your coffee shop boss might demote you to wiping tables if your attempts to froth milk and pull espresso shots continuously fail. When your employer demotes you, she assigns you an easier task or even an entirely new, lower-ranked position. You may even earn less money. In the military, to demote is to move a soldier down in rank, usually as a punishment. The opposite of demote is promote, which came first. The prefix de- gives the word a sense of "down" or "down from."

Example Sentences

The Pentagon has since tried in vain to demote his military rank and a grand jury have declined to charge him with seditious conspiracy.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

Kelly filed a lawsuit in January that accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of violating his First Amendment rights by moving to formally censure him and demote him over the video.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Hegseth issued a letter of censure against the retired Navy veteran and announced the Department of Defense would decide whether to demote Kelly and reduce his pension in the coming weeks.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026

The Tesla board would probably have to remove or at least demote him.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2025

In a furious squabble of accusation and recrimination he would demote officers and promote the most unlikely soldiers from the ranks.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• bump
• dismiss
• relegate