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

• 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

Black people in America have always had to contend with these lines of demarcation, reinforced and maintained by white men, and those deputized by them—with guns. —Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025

Celebrity colorist and co-owner of Crane hair salon Cass Kaeding once told Vogue that this technique gets you a softer line of demarcation when your roots start to grow out and gives you some dimension throughout. —Laura Solla, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2025

Seoul's military said the soldiers returned north of the military demarcation line and did not return fire. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025

Both countries have agreed to set up a working group to consult and coordinate on border affairs to advance demarcation negotiations, a Chinese foreign ministry statement released on Wednesday showed. —Reuters, NBC news, 20 Aug. 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