marginalized

adjective

mar·​gin·​al·​ized ˈmärj-nə-ˌlīzd 

ˈmär-jə-nᵊl-ˌīzd

: relegated to a marginal position within a society or group

Refugees are the world's quintessentially marginalized population: They are by definition located at the edge, beyond boundaries, on the outside.

—Tamar Mayer

… the domination and oppression of women and other marginalized groups within patriarchal culture.

—Susan M. Squier

Did you know?

Marginalized Writing vs. Marginalized People

Marginalize provides a striking case of how thoroughly the figurative use of a word can take over the literal one. The original (and now obsolete) meaning of this word, “to write notes in the margin of,” is analogous to the still-familiar noun marginalia “marginal notes or embellishments." A margin is, of course, the blank space surrounding the text in a book. Just prior to 1970, marginalize took on the sense that is most commonly encountered today, “to relegate to an unimportant or powerless position” (that is, to the metaphorical margins of society). This use of the word can be found as far back as 1968; an article in The Los Angeles Times from June 20th of that year reports, “[T]he Negro was kept aside, marginalized, thus composing in its large majority the chronically poor.” In its newer sense, marginalize has assumed a much more prominent place in the vocabulary than it once had.

Examples of marginalized in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Arizona's 2020 recreational marijuana law added 26 social equity licenses to serve marginalized communities. —Amy Young, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024

The blazing beat that ignites dance floors in Latin America and across the U.S. has served as a voice for marginalized communities, offering a platform for artists to address social issues, celebrate cultural heritage and express personal narratives. —Roxsy Lin, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2024

Mahmood guides her students in writing historical fiction and facilitates frequent conversations about why people of color and marginalized communities have historically been relegated to the margins of textbooks or left out altogether. —Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2024

Some marginalized groups not being able to apply for a typical bank loan makes securing funding for new businesses even harder. —Theara Coleman, theweek, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above