delineate

verb de·lin·eate \ di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt , dē- \

Updated on: 29 Mar 2018

Definition of delineate

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

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delineator

play \di-ˈli-nē-ˌā-tər, dē-\ noun

See delineate defined for English-language learners

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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 of delineate from the Web

Empires are not as clearly delineated as the solid blocks of color on the old maps suggest.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "The Island that Disappeared," 20 Mar. 2018
From current affairs to specific facts, Americans’ opinions are sharply delineated by their political party.

— eric oliver, Washington Post, "Trump’s election has polarized Americans’ views of the future," 2 Mar. 2018
The acting is awkward (Mr. Dash himself has a leading role), and the characters themselves indifferently delineated.

— glenn kenny, New York Times, "Review: ‘Honor Up’ Offers a Raw View of Gangster Life," 15 Feb. 2018
On the window ledge behind his desk, Deschamps-Braly keeps a model of a skull that delineates, with bronze rods, the proportions of the golden ratio.

— jane mayer, The New Yorker, "The Story of a Trans Woman’s Face," 12 Mar. 2018
Three competing federal branches would establish an intrinsically conservative balance of power, and delineated limits on government jurisdiction would hamstring Washington’s overreach.

— william f. b. o'reilly, National Review, "With Fealty to Frailty, the Federalist Party of America Launches," 15 Feb. 2018
Wilson believed that the framers of the Constitution had made a mistake in delineating such a strong separation of powers among the three branches of government, Cooper explained.

— karen tumulty, Washington Post, "A State of the Union delivered by the president in person? Congress was agog.," 29 Jan. 2018
The brand was not only delineated by its decidedly more techy, activewear focus, but also for the red rubber branding that adorned all its pieces.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "One Year Ago Prada Had Never Shown a Nylon Bag on the Runway, Now It’s a Mainstay of Its Fall 2018 Men’s Collection," 14 Jan. 2018
The solution emphasizes the beauty of the building’s original texture while helping to delineate the space within the loft’s more or less open plan.

— sadie stein, ELLE Decor, "Tour A Raw, Refined San Francisco Home With Art Gallery Sensibilities," 2 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'delineate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.