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| pej·o·ra·tion [ pèjjə ráysh'n, pjə ráysh'n ] |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. worsening state: a worsening, deterioration, or decline in quality, status, or value
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formal
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2. change to negative meaning of word: a change over time in the meaning of a word so that it becomes less favorable or more negative. An example is the English word "cunning," formerly used to mean "learned" but now used to mean "cleverly deceitful."
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| [Mid-17th century. < medieval Latin peioration-< late Latin peiorare "worsen" < Latin peior "worse"] |
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