SINCE 1828
delineation
noun
de·lin·ea·tion
| \ di-ˌli-nē-ˈā-shən
, dē-\
, dē-\
Definition of delineation
1
: the act of outlining or representing something with lines or words : the act of delineating
the delineation of a scene … the delineation of the territories allotted to the seven tribes of Israel …— Adam Nicholson
2
: something made by delineating
a photographic delineation of low life— T. S. Eliot
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Other Words from delineation
delineative
\ di-ˈli-nē-ˌā-tiv
, dē- \
adjective
, dē- \
adjective
Examples of delineation in a Sentence
his simple but striking delineations of Dutch landscapes
a finely wrought delineation of a young woman's first experience with romantic love
Recent Examples on the Web
Years later, this became a clear delineation for collectors, between the straight-arm figures and battle grip. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "Yo, Joe: How a 12-Inch Soldier Doll Became a Toy Legend," 9 Apr. 2019 What's missing between these two clauses is a clear delineation of what, if anything, Niantic will be owed by an outside publisher (or even an indie team publishing its game by itself) for use of Niantic's tools and platform. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Pokémon Go creators launch AR-game contest that (nearly) resembles American Idol," 21 Dec. 2018 In escapist fashion, the wet-looking shadows each moved beyond the lid, blues clouding ethereal toward the brow, while warmer shades skewed finger-painted, swiped into imperfect cat-eyes and rotund delineations. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "This Painterly Pastel Eyeshadow Is the Answer to a Permanently Sunny State of Mind," 17 Sep. 2018 Yamaha, by contrast, has both manual and paddle-shift gearboxes in its X3 competitor, the YXZ (see below), further obscuring the delineation between UTV and civilian automobile. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The Dune Buggy Is Back," 22 Dec. 2016 The negative reception of these uncharacteristic works led Magritte to abruptly return to his comfort zone of flat paint, careful delineation and narrative subject matter. — Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, "Getting surreal: Magritte’s late work pops at SFMOMA," 18 May 2018 The delineation between user and dealer is inexact and often illusory. — Josie Duffy Rice, The Atlantic, "The Gospel According to Pusha T," 12 July 2018 Studies and surveys to gather information on wetland delineation, rare and endangered species, the construction footprint and historical significance will also be done, Johnson said. — Jennifer Conn, Akron Reporter, cleveland.com, "New study brings Gorge Dam one step closer to potential removal," 9 Mar. 2018 Bowlers were on the lanes that Tuesday morning when the terrorists attacked, providing a mark of delineation for the vulnerability of a nation and the frailty of life. — Stephen Ruiz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "With PWBA U.S. Women's Open in Orlando, reigning champ displays knack for knocking down pins," 28 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'delineation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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