declassare

to downgrade

verb deh-klas-SAH-reh Rare

Also means

to demote

Usage Note

Declassare means to reduce in rank, category, or quality — a hotel can be declassato (downgraded), as can a bond or a railway line. In everyday Italian it also carries the social sense of treating someone as inferior. The reflexive declassarsi is not standard; essere declassato (passive) is the typical construction.

Examples

"L'hotel è stato declassato da quattro a tre stelle."

Natural Translation

The hotel was downgraded from four to three stars.

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