English Memory Atlas
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Word · transitive verb · usually relegate someone/something to something · C1 · Formal · often critical

relegate

REL-uh-gayt (US) Stress the first syllable: REL-e-gate.

Put someone or something in a lower, less important, or less visible position or role.

potisnuti; svrstati u niži rang; dodeliti sporednu ulogu

Use it

The new policy relegated local concerns to a footnote.

The concerns were not removed, but were treated as much less important.

After the reorganization, experienced staff were relegated to routine administrative work.

The passive form highlights an unwanted loss of status or responsibility.

Build the sentence

relegate + person/thing + to + lower role, place, or status

The redesignrelegatedaccessibility to an afterthought

Memory scene

A stage manager guides a former lead performer from the center spotlight to a dim side position as another performer takes center stage.

A stage manager moves the lead actor from center stage to a dim corner: still present, but deliberately made less important.

Watch out

Use to before the lower role or position, not in. In UK sports, a team can be relegated to a lower division; that specialized sense is less central in US English.

Nearby language

closestdemote

Usually lowers a person’s official job rank; relegate can lower the importance of people, topics, or tasks without a formal demotion.

informalsideline

More informal and emphasizes preventing active involvement rather than assigning a lower rank.

differentdelegate

Means assign responsibility to someone; it does not mean reduce status and is easily confused in spelling.

Make it yours

Situacija

U novom izveštaju važna bezbednosna pitanja završila su u kratkoj napomeni na kraju.

Your task
No automatic grading—compare meaning, grammar, and tone.