derogate
/ˈdɛɹəɡeɪt/
"derogate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“derogate” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To partially repeal (a law etc.).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | derogate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈdɛɹəɡeɪt/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “derogate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for derogate is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɛɹəɡeɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for derogate, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Late Middle English derogaten, from derogat(e) (“annulled, abrogated”, used participially and later as the past participle of derogaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix) borrowed from Latin dērogātus, perfect passive participle of dērogō (“to annu… The correct English form is derogate, spelled D-E-R-O-G-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To partially repeal (a law etc.).
- 2To detract from (something); to disparage, belittle.
- 3To take away (something from something else) in a way which leaves it lessened.
- 4To detract from (a quality of excellence, authority etc.).
- 5To act in a manner below oneself; to debase oneself.
Etymology
Inherited from Late Middle English derogaten, from derogat(e) (“annulled, abrogated”, used participially and later as the past participle of derogaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix) borrowed from Latin dērogātus, perfect passive participle of dērogō (“to annul, repeal part of a law, take away, detract from”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from dē- (“from”) + rogō (“to ask, enquire; to propose a law”). Sporadic participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “derogate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-R-O-G-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɛɹəɡeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.