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Definition of relegation

relegation

/ˌrɛl.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/
rel · e · ga · tion
Plural:relegations
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relegation Lexical Profile

relegation Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

British In sports leagues, the transfer of a team to a lower division at the end of a season due to poor performance.

Example

"A victory on the final day of the season saved the football club from relegation to the second division."

2

The act of assigning someone or something to an inferior rank, position, or status.

Example

"The reorganization resulted in the gradual relegation of the department to a purely advisory role."

3

Banishment or exile, especially in ancient Rome as a form of punishment that did not involve the forfeiture of civic rights.

Example

"The poet Ovid was sentenced to relegation on the Black Sea coast by Emperor Augustus."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for relegation

• Nearby Words

releasable
release
relegate
relegation
relent
relentless
relentlessly

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the late 14th century from Latin relegatio ('banishment, exile'), a noun of action from relegare ('to send away, remove'), formed from re- ('back, away') and legare ('to send with a commission'). In ancient Rome, relegatio was a milder form of exile that did not strip the citizen of property or civic rights.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Relegation. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/relegation
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