A demotion is when someone’s rank or job moves down. They still have work — they are not thrown out — but the new position is lower or less important. A manager may become a regular staff member; a soldier may lose a stripe. Workplaces and the army use this word most. People also stretch it: a smaller office, a quieter role, even a sports player sent to a weaker team can all feel like a demotion, though actually no one has to change a title for the feeling to be there. It is the opposite of a promotion. It can be a punishment after a mistake, or it can happen when a company shrinks and there are fewer high jobs left. It sounds a little official; in the corridor people more often say they got moved down.