What does demission mean?
Demission is a formal noun denoting the voluntary act of resigning from an office, post, or position of authority — the orderly handing over of power or duty to another. It derives from the Latin demittere, meaning 'to let down' or 'to send down,' the same root that gives us demise, though the two words have diverged sharply in meaning: a demise is an ending or death, while a demission is a deliberate step aside. The word appears most often in ecclesiastical, legal, and historical contexts, where precision and dignity of expression are valued; one might read of a prelate's demission of his see or an official's demission from public trust. Its connotation is neutral and dignified, suggesting propriety rather than scandal. Though rare in modern conversation, demission survives as a precise alternative to resignation when a writer wishes to emphasize formality and the ceremonial transfer of responsibility.
The formal act of resigning from an office or voluntarily relinquishing a position of authority.
"The chancellor's demission was accepted by the council at its final session of the year."
Chiefly used in ecclesiastical, legal, and historical writing; often paired with 'of office' or 'from' a post.
A transfer or handing over of duties, powers, or responsibilities to another party.
"The treaty provided for the demission of administrative authority to the local government."
A rarer extended sense, encountered mainly in legal and diplomatic documents.
The plural is uncommon because the act of resignation is usually treated as a single event; it appears mainly when referring to multiple such acts across people or occasions.
"The archives record several demissions from the abbacy during the turbulent century."
Before 'resignation' took over English boardrooms, an official stepped down by tendering their demission — a word whose Latin root literally meant 'to send down.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of demission
Demission comes from the Latin demittere, formed from de- ('down') plus mittere ('to send'), so its literal sense is 'a sending down' — hence a lowering of oneself from office. It entered English in the late Middle Ages through Old French demission, initially carrying broad senses of lowering or letting fall before narrowing to the relinquishment of office. It shares its Latin root with a large family of words built on mittere, including mission, emission, submission, and demise (via Latin demissio and Anglo-Norman). The word has always been comparatively rare and remains confined to formal registers.
How demission is actually used
Formal and archaic-leaning register; found chiefly in ecclesiastical, legal, and historical writing rather than everyday speech. It carries a neutral-to-dignified connotation, implying an orderly, voluntary transfer of office rather than disgrace or dismissal.
Easily confused with demission
Demise means death or the end of something's existence, while demission specifically denotes the voluntary resignation or handing over of an office.
Diminution means a reduction in size, importance, or amount, whereas demission refers to stepping down from a position.