relegate

verb

rel·e·gate | \ ˈre-lə-ˌgāt

relegated; relegating

Definition of relegate

transitive verb

1 : to send into exile : banish

2 : assign: such as

a : to assign to a place of insignificance or of oblivion : put out of sight or mind

b : to assign to an appropriate place or situation on the basis of classification or appraisal

c : to submit to someone or something for appropriate action : delegate

d : to transfer (a sports team) to a lower ranking division

Other Words from relegate Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about relegate

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for relegate

commit, entrust, confide, consign, relegate mean to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose. commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody. committed the felon to prison entrust implies committing with trust and confidence. the president is entrusted with broad powers confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance. confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality. consigned the damaging notes to the fire relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of. relegated to an obscure position in the company

Did You Know?

Originally relegate meant "to send into exile, banish". So when you relegate an old sofa to the basement, you're sending it to home-decorating Siberia. When confronted with a matter that no one really wants to face, a chief executive may relegate it to a committee "for further study", which may manage to ignore it for years. It may be annoying to read a newspaper article about a pet project and find that your own contributions have been relegated to a short sentence near the end.

Examples of relegate in a Sentence

The bill has been relegated to committee for discussion. courtiers and generals who incurred the emperor's disfavor were soon relegated to the farther reaches of the empire

Recent Examples on the Web

When the Sun Devils were going through spring drills in February, Johnson still had his arm in a sling and was relegated to the role of spectator. — Michelle Gardner, azcentral, "After playing through injury in 2018, ASU's Tyler Johnson ready for healthy season," 10 Aug. 2019 Combined, bad faith actors on the right have allowed for the amplification of fringe -- and politically beneficial -- theories and narratives that would have formally been hidden from sight and relegated to obscure message boards on the web. — Oliver Darcy, CNN, "In the age of the information wars, Mueller's traditionalist approach was his major flaw," 26 July 2019 He was then dealt to Orlando, in exchange for a conditional second-round draft pick, and eventually relegated to the end of the bench in the second half of the season. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, "After rough start in NBA, new Timberwolves point guard Shabazz Napier believes in himself again," 25 July 2019 There is an extra game for the 2019 Apertura, 18 instead of 17, because Veracruz opted to pay a $6.3 million fine to remain in the top division as a 19th team after technically being relegated last season. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Tijuana Xolos open Liga MX season with cast of new characters," 19 July 2019 Timra failed the 2019 SHL qualifiers and was relegated to second-tier Allsvenskan for the 2019-20 season. — Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Red Wings 2018 draft review: Potential future stars among picks," 16 June 2019 Buick promises that the Encore GX will offer more power than the standard Encore, which is being relegated to a single engine choice for 2020, a 138-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter four (the previous 153-hp turbo 1.4-liter four has been dropped). — Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, "The 2020 Buick Encore GX Is a Bigger Sibling to the Wee Encore," 29 May 2019 Rick is a past-his-peak actor relegated to guest spots playing heavies on TV crime shows and westerns. — Los Angeles Times, "‘Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood’ is the year’s first surefire Oscar best picture nominee," 2 Aug. 2019 There were people — powerful conservationists and wilderness activists — who would rather see the mighty condor go extinct than be relegated to zoos, even temporarily. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "How the California condor returned from the brink of extinction," 24 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'relegate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for relegate

relegate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of relegate

formal : to put (someone or something) in a lower or less important position, rank, etc.

formal : to give (something, such as a job or responsibility) to another person or group

British : to move (a sports team) to a lower position in a league

See the full definition for relegate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

Keep scrolling for more

relegate

Definition of relegate

Other Words from relegate

Synonyms for relegate

Choose the Right Synonym for relegate

Did You Know?

Examples of relegate in a Sentence

First Known Use of relegate

History and Etymology for relegate

English Language Learners Definition of relegate

relegate

Definition of relegate

Other Words from relegate

Synonyms for relegate

Choose the Right Synonym for relegate

Did You Know?

Examples of relegate in a Sentence

First Known Use of relegate

History and Etymology for relegate

English Language Learners Definition of relegate

WORD OF THE DAY