/ ˈrelɪgeɪt; NAmE / verb [ vn ]
1.
relegate sb/sth (to sth) to give sb a lower or less important position, rank, etc. than before :
She was then relegated to the role of assistant.
He relegated the incident to the back of his mind.
2.
[ usually passive ] ( especially BrE ) to move a sports team, especially a football ( soccer ) team, to a lower position within an official league
OPP promote
► rele·ga·tion / ˌrelɪˈgeɪʃn; NAmE / noun [ U ]:
teams threatened with relegation
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense send into exile ): from Latin relegat- sent away, referred, from the verb relegare , from re- again + legare send.