demarcation

noun

de·​mar·​ca·​tion ˌdē-ˌmär-ˈkā-shən 

plural demarcations

1

: the marking of the limits or boundaries of something : the act, process, or result of demarcating something

the demarcation of property lines

2

: something that marks or constitutes a boundary

a demarcation line

: a marked or perceived distinction between one area, category, etc., and another

The ability to test a theory against physical evidence … has provided a useful demarcation between science and pseudoscience.

—Norriss S. Hetherington

Certainly no clear line of demarcation has as yet been drawn between species and sub-species—that is, the forms which in the opinion of some naturalists come very near to, but do not quite arrive at the rank of species.

—Charles Darwin

There has been much chatter in recent seasons about the great gender crossover, that deliberate erosion on the runways of a once-rigid demarcation between conventionally feminine and masculine clothes.

—Elizabeth Paton

… the continued presence in the modern imagination of a sharp demarcation between public and private space.

—AAG Abstracts

Synonyms of demarcation

• distinction
• separation
• discrimination

Examples of demarcation in a Sentence

the lines of demarcation between art and entertainment are often blurry

Recent Examples on the Web

For Palestinians living near Israel’s demarcation line in Gaza, the war never stopped. —Lior Soroka, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026

Instead, 2026 is all about soft, lived-in shades of blonde, without a clear line of demarcation at the root. —Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 7 Jan. 2026

After the ceasefire in 1953, millions of families were left separated by the military demarcation line until the Korean Red Cross jumped in to help identify and connect families. —Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025

Pitras said shifting between clock and event time is easier for him without the sun’s clear demarcation between day and night. —Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for demarcation

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