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

• discreteness
• discrimination
• distinction
• separation

Examples of demarcation in a Sentence

the lines of demarcation between art and entertainment are often blurry

Recent Examples on the Web

The retired lieutenant general's proposal, which was outlined in British newspaper The Times, is the first by a senior U.S. official that uses the Dnieper River as a line of demarcation in postwar Ukraine, although Kellogg did not advocate ceding to Moscow any further territory east of the river. —David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025

The line of demarcation for evaluating previous Baltimore Ravens drafts is typically 2019. —Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

South Korea’s military said its soldiers broadcasted alerts and fired warning shots after 10 North Korean troops crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), according to reports. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Private discussions on troop deployments to enforce a line of demarcation are ongoing. —Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 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