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Added 6 October 2026

demean

/dɪˈmiːn/ verb

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about demean at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To debase; to lower; to degrade.
To humble; to humiliate.
To mortify.

verb

To manage; to conduct; to treat.
To conduct; to behave; to comport; followed by the reflexive pronoun.

noun

Management; treatment.
Behavior; conduct; bearing; demeanor.

noun

demesne.
resources; means.

Origin

(1595) From de- + mean (“lowly, base, common”), from Middle English mene, aphetic variation of imene (“mean, base, common”), from Old English ġemǣne (“mean, common”). Compare English bemean.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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