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

Despite the delineation of his position and having practiced there all summer and fall, the Bills elected to use Sanders at defensive end for the vast majority of his snaps against the Buccaneers. —Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025

That delineation is a little more inspiring, as five of the last 10 preseason SEC favorites won the conference. —Noah White, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025

This provides an understanding of how the work was completed and where the delineation between human and computer took place. —Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025

However, its size cannot be well-determined, as there’s no observed delineation between the central nucleus and the diffuse coma. —Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 26 Aug. 2025

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