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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Above that symbolic demarcation line known as the Bobby Hopper Tunnel, the I-49 gateway to Northwest Arkansas Proper, open spaces--like swing votes--are diminishing. —Arkansas Online, 17 Nov. 2022

However, diplomatic efforts to formalize a long-term resolution to the problem, including a formal demarcation of borders, have been unsuccessful. —David Faris, The Week, 15 Sep. 2022

There should be no demarcation of units by income and all residents should share the full range of amenities. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2022

Sparkling wine, says Lee Pancake, predates the demarcation of Champagne as a region in France, as does the method by which the famed bubbly — bougiest of all sparkling wines — is produced. —Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 29 Dec. 2021

Major League Baseball is heavily promoting inoculations, and stadiums have become a new line of demarcation, where vaccinated sections are highlighted as perks akin to VIP skyboxes. —BostonGlobe.com, 14 May 2021

That was kind of a line of demarcation where society changed completely. —Greta Rainbow, Vulture, 7 May 2021

Seven of the eight playoff teams in the West have at least 100 points, kind of the line of demarcation for a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. —Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 16 Apr. 2023

Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Thursday that Sônia Guajajara will head up a new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, with a mandate to oversee policies ranging from land demarcation to health care. —Fabiano Maisonnave, ajc, 30 Dec. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1