demote

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro- Proto-Italic *pro- Latin prō- Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-der. Proto-Italic *moweō Latin moveō Latin prōmoveō Latin prōmōtusbor. English (pro)mote English demote From de- (“down”) + promote (“advance in rank/status (ending abstracted)”).

1. To lower the rank or status of.

   “James was demoted from branch manager to assistant manager due to his poor discipline.”

   “In 1036, shortly after arriving at Yi-ling, Ou-yang Hsiu sent a lengthy letter to his friend, Yin Shu, who had been demoted at the same time as Ou-yang Hsiu and sent to Ying-chou (modern Chung-hsiang, Hupeh).”

2. To relegate.