delineate

verb

de·​lin·​eate di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt How to pronounce delineate (audio)
dē-
delineated; delineating

transitive verb

1
: to describe, portray, or set forth with accuracy or in detail
delineate a character in the story
delineate the steps to be taken by the government
2
a
: to indicate or represent by drawn or painted lines
b
: to mark the outline of
lights delineating the narrow streets
delineator noun

Examples of delineate in a Sentence

He plants his skates millimeters outside the blue-tinted 44-square-foot arena that delineates the crease and refuses to budge … Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 21 May 2007
Screenwriter Christopher Hampton introduces a large gallery of characters, subtly delineating the unspoken class biases that will keep Robbie, for all his confidence, charm and Cambridge education, an outsider. David Ansen, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2007
So Madrid finally ordered Onís to cut the best deal he could. The resulting Transcontinental (or Adams-Onís) Treaty of 1819 ceded Florida to the United States and delineated the boundary between American and Spanish territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean … Walter A. McDougall, Promised Land, Crusader State, 1997
Privacy plays a unique role in American law. Although considered a core value by most citizens, it is not explicitly delineated as a protected right by the U.S. Constitution. Edward A. Cavazos et al., Cyberspace and the Law, 1994
The report clearly delineates the steps that must be taken. The characters in the story were carefully delineated.
Recent Examples on the Web This could involve delineating specific roles and responsibilities for each group—employees and contractors—and implementing the relevant access controls within your HR systems. Pavel Shynkarenko, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 And no rule delineates what counts in these relationships as a necessary act of love and what as a frivolous indulgence. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2024 Yet another way of delineating and enforcing hierarchy was born. Ligaya Mishan Kyoko Hamada, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Further studies will be required to fully demystify past medical practices and to better delineate the difference between autopsies and dissections, researchers said. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2024 The Israeli military on Friday released a map delineating hundreds of numbered parcels, and called on Gazans to be aware of their corresponding location in case of an evacuation order. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023 The near-term goal is to develop a process to start negotiating a land demarcation agreement that could delineate where and how the two sides deploy forces along the border in an effort to stabilize the situation. Shane Harris, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2024 The goal, then, should be to reverse this process by downgrading the PA and upgrading the PLO while more clearly delineating the lines between them. Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2023 And elevators had to be reprogrammed to delineate space for hotel guests and apartment dwellers. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin dēlīneātus, past participle of dēlīneāre "to trace the outline of," from dē- de- + līneāre "to make straight, mark with lines," derivative of līnea "string, cord, line entry 1"

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of delineate was in 1559

Dictionary Entries Near delineate

Cite this Entry

“Delineate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delineate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

delineate

verb
de·​lin·​eate di-ˈlin-ē-ˌāt How to pronounce delineate (audio)
delineated; delineating
1
: to indicate by lines : sketch
2
: to describe in sharp or vivid detail
delineate the characters in a story
delineation
-ˌlin-ē-ˈā-shən
noun
delineator noun

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