[di-moht] 
| to reduce to a lower grade, rank, class, or position (opposed to promote ): They demoted the careless waiter to busboy. |
| de·mote (dĭ-mōt') tr.v. de·mot·ed, de·mot·ing, de·motes To reduce in grade, rank, or status. [de- + (pro)mote.] de·mo'tion n. Synonyms: These verbs mean to lower in grade, rank, or status: was demoted from captain to lieutenant; a noncommissioned officer broken to the ranks; a detective who was busted to uniformed traffic patrol for insubordination; a supervisor degraded to an assistant; a popular author downgraded by critical opinion to a genre writer; was reduced from a command post to a desk job. |
