Definition of PEJORATIVE (original) (raw)
: a word or phrase that has negative connotations (see connotation sense 1) or that is intended to disparage or belittle : a pejorative word or phrase
Did you know?
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Parents have given that good advice for years, but unfortunately many people haven't heeded it. The word pejorative makes it clear that both English and Latin speakers have long known that disparaging words can make a bad situation worse. Pejorative derives from the Late Latin adjective pējōrātus, which in turn comes from the Latin verb pējōrāre, meaning "to make or become worse." Although pejorative words have probably always been part of English, the adjective pejorative has only been found in English texts since the late 1880s. Before then, English speakers could rely on older synonyms of pejorative such as derogatory and uncomplimentary to describe disparaging words.
Synonyms
Examples of pejorative in a Sentence
Adjective
Children born with an extra chromosome 21 are healthy, conspicuously happy and destined to live for many years. But they are not considered, in that pejorative word, 'normal'. —
Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999 The word barbarian was used by the Greeks, to designate an alien, and therefore, by definition, someone inferior in culture to a Hellene. The Romans applied this in the pejorative sense to the people who came to live along the Rhine-Danube frontier. —Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993 On occasion they expressed a preference for the terms Latino or Hispanic if that would assist them in escaping from the term Puerto Rican, which became, at times, almost pejorative. —John Hope Franklin, "The Land of Room Enough," 1981, in Race and History, 1989
a word with pejorative connotations the reviewer used the pejorative word “versifier” to refer to the writer, whose poems had struck a responsive chord with the general public
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, outside the event, a small group of neo-Nazi demonstrators — who were not allowed inside — attempted to yell pejoratives over the speakers, who easily ignored their shouts and at times openly condemned them. —Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 22 July 2024 In his remarks, Francis said that there was already too much gayness in Catholic seminaries, using a pejorative to describe it, according to bishops who attended the conference. —Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
In conservative circles, the pejorative label stuck. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024 These asylum seekers came to be known as Vietnamese boat people, a name that has come to be regarded as pejorative — the sort of dehumanizing language often used in indexing immigrants. —Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 1 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for pejorative 
Word History
Etymology
Noun
noun derivative of pejorative entry 2
Adjective
borrowed from New Latin pējōrātīvus, from Late Latin pējōrātus, past participle of pējōrāre "to make worse, aggravate" (derivative of Latin pējor "inferior, worse," going back to *ped-yos-, comparative of *ped-, extracted from *ped-tu- "a fall, falling") + Latin -īvus -ive — more at pessimism
First Known Use
Noun
1882, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
circa 1888, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of pejorative was in 1882
Dictionary Entries Near pejorative
Cite this Entry
“Pejorative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pejorative. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on pejorative
Last Updated: 3 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!