the downgrading or depreciation of a word’s meaning, as when a word with a positive sense develops a negative one
A semantic change in which a word gains increasingly negative connotation. For instance, the word le
pejoration (pej' uh RAY shuhn) 1. A worsening deterioration, or decline in quality, status, or value. 2. Made less tolerable, disdainful, or contemptuous. 3. A change over time in the meaning of a word so that it becomes less favorable or more negative; for example, the English word 'cunning' formerly meant 'learned' but now it is used to mea...