Pejoration
A process of semantic change in which a word's meaning becomes more negative or lower in status over time. For instance, 'villain' originally meant 'farmworker' but acquired negative connotations.
Real World
The word 'notorious' once simply meant 'widely known', but through pejoration it now implies fame for something bad — as when newspapers describe criminals as 'notorious gangsters' rather than 'famous gangsters'.
Exam Focus
Link pejoration to social attitudes — examiners reward answers connecting semantic shift to power, gender, or class dynamics.
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