derogate •
\DAIR-uh-gayt\ • verb 1 : to cause to seem inferior : disparage 2 : to
take away a part so as to impair : detract 3 : to act beneath one's position or
character
Examples:
It is easy to
derogate the prom committee for its lackluster theme now, but nobody came
forward with any better ideas while it was being discussed.
"In two national
elections, American voters definitively entrusted that man with the job. That
man represents the presidency…. Politicians who publicly disrespect the man who
holds that office derogate their own profession." — Laura Washington,
Chicago Sun-Times, June 23, 2014
Did you know? You're probably
familiar with derogatory, the adjective meaning "expressing a low
opinion," but you may not be as well-acquainted with the less common verb,
derogate. Both words can be traced back to the Late Latin word derogatus, which
is the past participle of the verb derogare, meaning "to detract" or
"to annul (a law)." Derogare, in turn, derives from the Latin word
for "ask," rogare. Derogate first appeared in English in the 15th
century. Derogatory was adopted in the early 16th century, and has become much
more popular than the verb. Other derogate relatives include derogative,
derogation, and derogatorily.
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