Meanings
nounpejoration (countable and uncountable, plural pejorations)
plural pejorations
- countableuncountableThe act or process of becoming worse; worsening or degeneration.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesAny process by which a word acquires a more negative meaning.
Nagle explains that the contemporary disapproval of the title is due to a multilayered pejoration inherent in the term Hobson-Jobson.
2014, James Lambert, “A Much Tortured Expression: A New Look At `Hobson-Jobson'”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 27, number 1, page 58Synonyms: pejorativization · Antonyms: amelioration
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny process by which a word acquires a more negative meaning.
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Opposite
Also see
Origin
- Latinpeiōrātiō
- Englishpejoration
From Latin peiōrātiō. By surface analysis, pejorate + -ion.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
pejoration. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pejoration
MLA
“pejoration.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pejoration. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pejoration,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pejoration.
Source: pejoration on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.