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pejorative
pejorative definition
pe·jo·ra·tive (pi jôr′ə tiv, -jär′-; occas. pē′jə rāt′iv, pej′ə-)
adjective
- declining; making or becoming worse: applied to words whose basic meaning has changed for the worse (Ex.: knave, cretin)
- disparaging or derogatory
Etymology: < L pejoratus, pp. of pejorare, to make worse < pejor, worse, orig., inclined downward < IE base *ped-, foot
noun
a pejorative word or form
Related Forms:
- pejoratively pe·jo′·ra·tively adverb
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