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Webster 1913 Edition


Derogate

Der′o-gate

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Derogated
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Derogating
.]
[L.
derogatus
, p. p. of
derogare
to derogate;
de-
+
rogare
to ask, to ask the people about a law. See
Rogation
.]
1.
To annul in part; to repeal partly; to restrict; to limit the action of; – said of a law.
By several contrary customs, . . . many of the civil and canon laws are controlled and
derogated
.
Sir M. Hale.
2.
To lessen; to detract from; to disparage; to depreciate; – said of a person or thing.
[R.]
Anything . . . that should
derogate
, minish, or hurt his glory and his name.
Sir T. More.

Der′o-gate

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To take away; to detract; to withdraw; – usually with from.
If we did
derogate
from them whom their industry hath made great.
Hooker.
It
derogates
little from his fortitude, while it adds infinitely to the honor of his humanity.
Burke.
2.
To act beneath one-s rank, place, birth, or character; to degenerate.
[R.]
You are a fool granted; therefore your issues, being foolish, do not
derogate
.
Shakespeare
Would Charles X.
derogate
from his ancestors? Would he be the degenerate scion of that royal line?
Hazlitt.

Der′o-gate

,
Noun.
[L.
derogatus
, p. p.]
Diminished in value; dishonored; degraded.
[R.]
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition


Derogate

DEROGATE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. To ask, to propose. In ancient Rome, rogo was used in proposing new laws, and derogo, in repealing some section of a law. Hence the sense is to take from or annul a part.]
1.
To repeal, annul or destroy the force and effect of some part of a law or established rule; to lessen the extent of a law; distinguished from abrogate.
By several contrary customs, many of the civil and canon laws are controlled and derogated.
2.
To lessen the worth of a person or thing; to disparage.

DEROGATE

, v.i.
1.
To take away; to detract; to lessen by taking away a part; as, say nothing to derogate from the merit or reputation of a brave man.
2.
To act beneath ones rank, place or birth.

Definition 2024


derogate

derogate

English

Verb

derogate (third-person singular simple present derogates, present participle derogating, simple past and past participle derogated)

  1. (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.
  2. (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.
  3. (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.
  4. (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 1857150570)
      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."
  5. (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?

Usage notes

The verb form is relatively uncommon, but the related adjective derogatory is common.

Synonyms

  • decry
  • (to disparage, belittle): vilify
  • (to detract from (a quality of excellence, authority etc.)): abase

Antonyms

  • (to disparage, belittle): praise
  • (to detract from (a quality of excellence, authority etc.)): exalt

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

derogate (comparative more derogate, superlative most derogate)

  1. (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


Latin

Verb

dērogāte

  1. first-person plural present active imperative of dērogō