derogatory

English

Etymology

From Late Latin dērogātōrius, from Latin dērogāre; corresponding to derogate +‎ -ory.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /dɪˈɹɒɡətɹi/, X-SAMPA: /dI"rQg@trI/
• (US) IPA: /dɪˈɹɑɡətɔɹi/, X-SAMPA: /dI"rAg@tOri/

Adjective

derogatory (comparative more derogatory, superlative most derogatory)

1. (usually with to) Tending to derogate, or lessen in value of someone; expressing derogation; detracting; injurious.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Blackstone.

     Acts of Parliament derogatory from the power of subsequent Parliaments bind not.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Macaulay.

     His language was severely censured by some of his brother peers as derogatory to their other.

2. (law) When referring to a clause in a testament: a sentence of secret character inserted by the testator alone, of which he reserves the knowledge to himself, with a condition that no will he may make thereafter shall be valid, unless this clause is inserted word for word; – a precaution to guard against later wills extorted by violence, or obtained by suggestion.

Usage notes

In common language, particularly used in the phrase “derogatory term”, equivalent to less common pejorative, and in “derogatory statements”, equivalent to more casual offensive.

Translations

tending to lessen in value

• Bulgarian: пренебрежителен (bg) (prenebrežitelen), подценяващ (bg) (podcenjavašt)
• Catalan: pejoratiu (ca), despectiu (ca)
• Czech: hanlivý (cs), pohrdavý (cs)
• Danish: nedsættende (da)
• Dutch: denigrerend (nl)
• Finnish: halventava (fi), alentava (fi)
• German: abwertend (de), pejorativ (de), abfällig (de), beleidigend (de)
• Greek: υποτιμητικός (el) (ypotimitikós) m , μειωτικός (el) (meiotikós) m 
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: nedsettende (nb)

  Nynorsk: nedsetjande (nn)

• Polish: pejoratywny (pl)
• Romanian: derogatoriu (ro), defavorabil m and n, prejudiciator, păgubitor, dăunător
• Russian: уничижительный (ru) (uničižítel’nyj) , пренебрежительный (ru) (prenebrežítel’nyj) , презрительный (ru) (prezrítel’nyj) 
• Spanish: derogatorio (es)
• Swedish: nedsättande (sv)

legal clause

• Catalan: derogatori (ca)
• German: derogativ (de), derogatorisch (de)

• Greek: υβριστικός (el) (yvristikós) m 

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Mandarin: 贬义 (biǎnyì), 贬损 (biǎnsǔn)
• French: désobligeant (fr), dérogatoire (fr), dépréciatif  (fr)
• Italian: derogatorio (it), dispregiativo (it), peggiorativo (it)
• Macedonian: навредлив (mk) (návredliv) m, омаловажувачки (mk) (omalovažúvački) m

Noun

derogatory (plural derogatories)

1. A trade-line on a credit report that includes negative credit history.

Synonyms

• pejorative

Related terms

• derogate
• derogation

External links

• derogatory in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• derogatory in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911