The word relegation refers to the action of assigning someone or something to an inferior rank or position. It is popularly used in sports, where it corresponds to the transfer of a sports team or player to a lower division of the league.
Origin
In use from the 1580s, the word has seen a steady increase in usage over time. In fact, the usage has multiplied manifold since the 1800s and has peaked since the second half of the 20th Century – probably due to its association with sports.
The root word of relegation is relegate, which comes from the Latin word relegates or relegare. The word relegare can be broken down into re for “back” and legare for “send with a commission”. Initially used to mean “to banish or to send into exile”, the meaning “to place in a position of inferiority” was recorded from 1790.
Usage
As we approach the end of any Premier League season, there is always a tussle between the clubs at the bottom of the table to avoid relegation.
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