pejoration

noun /ˌpiːd͡ʒəˈɹeɪʃən/

1. The act or process of becoming worse; worsening or degeneration.

   countable, uncountable

2. Any process by which a word acquires a more negative meaning.

   countable, uncountable

   Nagle explains that the contemporary disapproval of the title is due to a multilayered pejoration inherent in the term Hobson-Jobson.

Where it comes from

From Latin peiōrātiō. By surface analysis, pejorate + -ion.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry pejoration (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← pejoratepeladophobia →

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