derogatory

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derogatory

/dɪˈɹɒɡətɹi/ UK
/dɪˈɹɔɡətɹɪj/ British, Southern, Standard
/dɪˈɹɑɡəˌtɔɹi/ US

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Late Latin dērogātōrius, from Latin dērogō; corresponding to derogate + -ory.

adjective more derogatory · most derogatory

Disparaging. It was perfectly plain, that fast and far as scandal flies, Lady Anne's words, when derogatory to the Count, and that beloved wife, for whose sake they would have been most resented, had never reached their retreat in Devonshire, much less followed them to distant Italy.
usually, with to Tending to derogate The Tories […] knew that […] the House which should be the first to come to a resolution would have a great advantage over the other. […] The Commons had determined that, on Monday the twenty-eighth of January, they would take into consideration the state of the nation. The Tory Lords therefore prop
Similar: injurious
usually, with to Reducing the power or value of (a governmental body, etc); detracting from. Acts of Parliament derogatory from the power of subsequent Parliaments bind not.
Similar: injurious
usually, with to Lessening the worth of (a person, etc); expressing derogation; insulting. Billie Jean King said Friday that the Australian Open’s Margaret Court Arena should have its name changed because of Court’s derogatory comments about gay and transgender people.
Similar: injurious
of a clause in a testament Being or pertaining to a derogatory clause.

Opposite: honorific, laudatory

noun derogatories

A tradeline on a credit report that indicates negative credit history.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: derogative, disparaging, uncomplimentary, pejorative, contemptuous, malicious, malevolent, insulting, demeaning, offensive, abusive, humiliating, snide, dismissive, vicious, degrading

adjective

Opposite: honorific, laudatory

Translations

Every language

adj tending to lessen the value of

Español	despreciativo, denigrante, menospreciativo
한국어	경멸적 gyeongmyeoljeok, 멸시적 myeolsijeok
中文	贬义 biǎnyì
हिन्दी	अपमानजनक apmānajnak
Português	pejorativo, depreciativo, derrogatório
Français	péjoratif, dépréciatif
Deutsch	abwertend, pejorativ, abfällig, beleidigend
Italiano	offensivo, ingiurioso, contumelioso, insultante, riduttivo, spregiativo
Ελληνικά	υποτιμητικός ypotimitikós, μειωτικός meiotikós
Română	derogatoriu, defavorabil, prejudiciator, dăunător, denigrator, depreciativ
Русский	уничижи́тельный uničižítelʹnyj, пренебрежи́тельный prenebrežítelʹnyj, презри́тельный prezrítelʹnyj
العربية	حَقِير ḥaqīr, دَنِيء danīʔ
עברית	פּוֹגֵעַ

adj legal clause

Español	derogatorio
中文	誹謗 /诽谤 fěibàng
Português	derrogatório
Deutsch	derogativ, derogatorisch
Ελληνικά	υβριστικός yvristikós

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Cite this

MLA

"derogatory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/derogatory. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

derogatory. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/derogatory

Chicago

"derogatory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/derogatory.

BibTeX

@misc{derogatory_2026,
  title = {derogatory},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/derogatory},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}