Historical Linguistics. semantic change in a word to a lower, less approved, or less respectable meaning. Compare melioration(def. 1).
Origin: 1650–60; < ML pējōrātiōn- (s. of pējōrātiō) a making worse, equiv. to LL pējōrāt(us) (ptp. of pējōrāre to make worse, deriv. of pējor worse) + -iōn--ion
The process or condition of worsening or degenerating.
Linguistics The process by which the meaning of a word becomes negative or less elevated over a period of time, as silly, which formerly meant "deserving sympathy, helpless or simple," has come to mean "showing a lack of good sense, frivolous."
[Medieval Latin pēiōrātiō, pēiōrātiōn-, from Late Latin pēiōrātus, past participle of pēiōrāre, to make worse, from Latin pēior, worse; see ped- in Indo-European roots.]
[pej-uh-rey-shuh
n, pee-juh-] 