demotion

[ dih-moh-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of reducing to a lower grade, rank, class, or position, or the result of such a reduction:

   The committee is charged with hearing employee appeals and addressing complaints regarding suspension, demotion, layoff, or termination of employment.

   The company’s bad quarter resulted in a further demotion of their overall rating from C+ to C.

Word History and Origins

Origin of demotion¹

de- + (pro)motion

Example Sentences

Moving to Hulu like Larry King could give him free rein—but is that too much of a demotion from venerable Tonight?

From The Daily Beast

Any infraction of the rules could bring demotion or reassignment to another city, which proved tough on families and very costly.

From The Daily Beast

He just felt that he was reasonably secure against promotion, and that he need not be afraid of "demotion."

From Project Gutenberg