- Today's Word
Relegate
REL-uh-gayt
Definition
(verb) To assign someone or something to a lower position, status, or role—often as a form of dismissal or reduction in importance.
Example
After the scandal, the senator was relegated to a minor committee post.
Word Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin relegare, meaning “to send away,” from re- ‘again’ + legare ‘to send’.
Fun Fact
In sports leagues (especially in the UK), relegate has a specific and painful meaning: being bumped down to a lower division. But the word is also used in work, politics, and culture—when something is deemed less important or is subtly sidelined. You might relegate an annoying task to the bottom of your to-do list… or a brilliant idea could be wrongly relegated to “not now” status. It’s a powerful word for passive dismissal.
