demote
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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demotesimple
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demotessimple
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have demotedperfect
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has demotedperfect
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am demotingprogressive
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are demotingprogressive
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is demotingprogressive
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have been demotingperfect progressive
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has been demotingperfect progressive
Past
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demotedsimple
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had demotedperfect
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was demotingprogressive
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were demotingprogressive
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had been demotingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of demote
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."
Vocabulary lists containing demote
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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They Both Die at the End
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Vocabulary from the Twelfth Republican Debate, March 10, 2016
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
US District Judge Richard Leon wrote in a scathing ruling that Hegseth had unconstitutionally retaliated against Kelly in seeking to demote the retired Navy captain.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 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
According to Fidell, the secretary of defense has the authority to demote only flag officers—that is, generals and admirals.
From Slate ● Jan. 13, 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
Anxiety, self-doubt, and bickering replaced that night’s buoyant optimism as Bolles scrutinized each of them anew, trying to figure out who to keep in the boat and who to demote.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
The Company rakes her over the coals, demotes her, and doesn’t believe her report about an alien creature that has a razor-sharp tail, knife-like teeth and highly caustic acid for blood.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025
The chart formula automatically demotes songs that have had three consecutive weeks of declining streaming figures, when compared with the rest of the market.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2025
She — bold but perpetually insecure — becomes attracted to Sam, and the dynamics shift further as Sam regains control of his bar and demotes her to barmaid.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 6, 2022
Facebook said it also demotes content from news publishers that users rate as untrusted in surveys and content posted by pages or accounts that repeatedly violate its rules.
From Reuters ● Sep. 23, 2021
Of course, as soon as Coleman demotes him we know his resentment will boil over.
From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2016
Whenever there is a reshuffle at the top of government, it is worth keeping an eye and an ear on the dislodged, demoted and rejected former ministers.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Crowley, who was demoted to another position, filed a lawsuit against the city, saying the mayor engaged in a retaliation campaign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Lyon won an appeal against relegation the following month, after initially being demoted to Ligue 2 by French football's financial watchdog.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
When workers in their 40s and older are laid off or demoted, or face cuts in their hours, they may suspect age is a factor.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
Captain Bugloss, the officer responsible, had, of course, been demoted and expelled from the Owsla, but his disgrace, though very proper, only added to the General’s difficulties.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Achilles tears are known throughout the NBA as injuries that turn players into shadows of their former selves, demoting an All-Star into a role player and a role player into a retiree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
The European Commission said Google is demoting media publishers' websites and content in search results when they include content from commercial partners, such as sponsored editorial pieces.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025
The Briton was controversially penalised at Sunday's United States Grand Prix, demoting him from third to fourth behind Verstappen, for overtaking off track.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2024
Editors subsequently took away his column, demoting him to reporter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2024
Royal Brougham fired the first and potentially most lethal: Had he made a critical mistake by demoting his sophomores?
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
