Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Origin: de- + promote

demote

 verb
     
de‧mote [transitive usually in passive]
to make someone's rank or position lower or less important [≠ promote]:
The sergeant was demoted to private.
—demotion noun [uncountable and countable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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