derogate
English
WOTD – 24 June 2011
Etymology
Borrowed from (the participle stem of) Latin dērogāre (“to annul, repeal part of a law, take away, detract from”), from de- (“from”) + rogāre (“to propose a law, ask”). Compare abrogate, interrogate.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdɛɹəɡeɪt/
Verb
derogate (third-person singular simple present derogates, present participle derogating, simple past and past participle derogated)
- (obsolete, transitive) To partially repeal (a law etc.). [16th-17th c.]
- Sir M. Hale
- By several contrary customs, […] many of the civil and canon laws are controlled and derogated.
- Sir M. Hale
- (transitive) To detract from (something); to disparage, belittle. [from 16th c.]
- 1642, John Milton, An Apology for Smectymnuus:
- I never thought the human frailty of erring in cases of religion, infamy to a state, no more than to a council: it had therefore been neither civil nor christianly, to derogate the honour of the state for that cause [...].
- 1999, Ziva Kunda, Social Cognition, p. 222:
- When the need for self-affirmation is satisfied through other means, one is less compelled to derogate members of negatively setereotyped groups.
- 2001, Russell Cropanzano, Justice in the Workplace, vol. II, p. 104:
- Bandura (1990) gave a related example of gas chamber operators in Nazi prison camps, who found it necessary to derogate and dehumanize their victims rather than become overwhelmed by distress.
- 1642, John Milton, An Apology for Smectymnuus:
- (transitive, intransitive) To take away (something from something else) in a way which leaves it lessened. [from 16th c.]
- Sir T. More
- Anything […] that should derogate, minish, or hurt his glory and his name.
- Burke
- It derogates little from his fortitude, while it adds infinitely to the honor of his humanity.
- Sir T. More
- (intransitive) To remove a part, to detract from (a quality of excellence, authority etc.). [from 16th c.]
- 1857, Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, Volume the Second, page 147 →ISBN
- In doing so she had derogated from her dignity and committed herself.
- 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.19:
- God does not have the attributes of a Christian Providence, for it would derogate from His perfection to think about anything except what is perfect, i.e. Himself.
- 1967, "The undoing of Dodd", Time, 5 Dec 1967:
- The six-member Committee on Standards and Conduct unanimously recommended that the Senate censure the Connecticut Democrat for behavior that is "contrary to good morals, derogates from the public trust expected of a Senator, and tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."
- 1857, Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, Volume the Second, page 147 →ISBN
- (intransitive) To act in a manner below oneself; to debase oneself. [from 17th c.]
- c. 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, II.1:
- CLOTEN. Is it fit I went to look upon him? Is there no derogation in't?
- SECOND LORD. You cannot derogate, my lord.
- Hazlitt
- Would Charles X. derogate from his ancestors? Would he be the degenerate scion of that royal line?
- c. 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, II.1:
Usage notes
This verb is relatively uncommon, but the related adjective derogatory is common.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related terms
Translations
to detract from something; to belittle; disparage
to take away or detract from
to remove a part; to detract from (a quality of excellence, authority etc.)
to debase oneself — see debase
Adjective
derogate (comparative more derogate, superlative most derogate)
- (archaic) debased
- 1605, Dry up in her the organs of increase, / And from her derogate body never spring / A babe to honour her. — William Shakespeare, King Lear I.iv
Related terms
Italian
Verb
derogate
- inflection of derogare:
- second-person plural present indicative
- second-person plural imperative
Latin
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