demotion

nounB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #11,818 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: demotions

A demotion is being moved down to a less important position. Face demotion, accept a demotion, a demotion in all but name.

It is the opposite of promotion, and it is usually a punishment or a consequence of restructuring. The verb is demote. In sport, demotion is what happens to a team relegated to a lower division, though relegation is the usual British word there. Note the most famous demotion in science: Pluto was demoted from planet to dwarf planet in 2006, and the word was used everywhere.

Definitions of demotion

1noundemotionBeing moved down to a less important position.B2+
“The reorganisation was a demotion dressed as a new job.”

demotion is a lowering in rank.

Practised in Work & Careers, Business & Money

Practise this word

demotion in the wild

Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the previous one.
Makuuchi
Generally, a greater number of wins than losses (kachi-koshi) results in a promotion, and the reverse (make-koshi) results in demotion.
Makuuchi
In his memoirs, Brian Faulkner expresses surprise that Jack Andrews accepted the position, as he saw it as a demotion.
Leader of the Senate of Northern Ireland
More serious sanctions include demotion to a lower league or even complete expulsion from the French league system.
Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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