delimit

verb

de·lim·it di-ˈli-mət

dē-

delimited; delimiting; delimits

Synonyms of delimit next

transitive verb

: to fix or define the limits of

guidelines delimiting his responsibilities

an area delimited by woods

delimitation

di-ˌli-mə-ˈtā-shən

dē-

noun

Examples of delimit in a Sentence

Strict guidelines delimit his responsibilities. the highway delimits the eastern edge of the downtown area

Recent Examples on the Web One task will be delimiting the ocean, which some researchers think could exist in multiple layers, separated by high-pressure species of ice. —

Bypaul Voosen, science.org, 5 Apr. 2023 His message is clear: people in developing countries should adopt free markets, strictly delimit the role of the state, promote liberal democratic institutions , ensure the provision of basic education and healthcare and welcome open discussion of issues. —

Edward Webster, Quartz, 2 June 2021 Since the twenties roared, it’s become a habit to delimit history in distinctive ten-year stretches. —

Frank Guan, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2022 That gave him a way to think about the past, and also a style—history as a battle of opposites, in which the result of each skirmish shapes and delimits the possibilities for the future. —

Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2020 Despite technological advances, biology and medicine still lack a coherent and principled understanding of what precisely defines birth and death—the two bookends that delimit life. —

Christof Koch, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2019 Still, there were failures and compromises both in how authorities delimited the scope of the inquiries and in how South Africa’s post-apartheid government enacted the commission’s eventual recommendations. —

Lidija Haas, The New Republic, 1 July 2019 The government doesn’t have very many measures to help in a situation like that, because unemployment insurance is time-delimited. —

Recode Staff, Recode, 16 July 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'delimit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.