delineation

noun

de·​lin·​ea·​tion di-ˌli-nē-ˈā-shən 

dē-

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 more photographic delineation of low life.

—T. S. Eliot

delineative

di-ˈli-nē-ˌā-tiv 

dē-

adjective

Synonyms of delineation

• sketch
• drawing
• depiction
• portrait
• illustration
• image

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

But in the end, where is the delineation between the work that needs to be done by people and what can be done by AI? —Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Headlines about his essay have, somewhat understandably, focused on Amodei’s blunt delineation of AI risks. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026

In Botswana’s Okavango Delta, there is no clear delineation between where the land ends and water begins. —Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

The scope of the effort is almost incomprehensible, both for its sheer size and persistence on a low-lying peninsula, where the delineation between land and sea has always been somewhat unclear and is becoming less so. —Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin dēlīneātiōn-, dēlīneātiō "description," from Latin dēlīneāre "to trace the outline of, delineate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for delineation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation