derogatory

UK/dɪˈɹɒɡətɹi/US/dɪˈɹɑɡəˌtɔɹi/

adjectiveC1Occasional — familiar, but not everyday · #9,935 of 15,258leans written

Derogatory means meant to belittle somebody. A derogatory remark, derogatory terms, nothing derogatory.

It is the formal word in codes of conduct and in law, and it covers language aimed at a group as much as at a person. What makes a term derogatory is how it is used and heard rather than any list, which is why the rules are written broadly.

Definitions of derogatory

1adjectivederogatoryMeant to belittle somebody.C1
“He was fired for making derogatory comments about women in a meeting.”

derogatory is a quality.

Where it comes from

Latin derogatorius comes from derogare, to take away from — de plus rogare, to ask or propose.

Latin
dērogātōrius
English, today
derogatory

Borrowed from Latin dērogātōrius, from Latin dērogō; corresponding to derogate + ory.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

derogatory in the wild

In modern usage in English, the extent to which goy is derogatory is a point of discussion in the Jewish community.
Goy
However, the term imbecile quickly passed into vernacular usage as a derogatory term.
Imbecile
Within Asian-American circles in the United States, the phrase is considered politically incorrect and derogatory.
Fresh off the boat
Greaser was a derogatory term for a Mexican in what is now the U.S.
Greaser (derogatory)
In the 18th century, the polite term was used for the voice-type known today as castrato, which was considered a derogatory term at the time.
Musico

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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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