- Today's Word
Relegate
REL-uh-gayt
Definition
- (verb) To assign to a lower position, rank, or status; demote.
- To delegate or transfer a task or responsibility to someone else.
- To exile or banish.
Example
After repeated mistakes on the project, he was relegated to a support role, far from the leadership position he once held.
Fun Fact
“Relegate” comes from the Latin word relegare, which combines re- (back) and legare (to send or delegate). In ancient Rome, the term was used in a legal sense to describe exiling someone to a remote location without stripping them of citizenship. Over time, the word’s meaning broadened to include any form of downgrading or assigning to a less important position. Today, its usage extends to sports, where teams may be “relegated” to lower divisions after poor performance, maintaining its sense of demotion and exclusion.
(noun) The range of one’s knowledge, understanding, or awareness.
Quantum physics lies far beyond my ken, no matter how many articles I read.
Ken comes from Old English cennan, meaning “to know” or “to make known,” and is closely related to Middle English and Scots usage where it meant knowledge, perception, or recognition. Over time, the word narrowed to describe the limits of what someone knows or understands, which is why it’s often used today in phrases like “beyond my ken.”