marginalize
verb
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Marginalized Writing vs. Marginalized People
Marginalize provides a striking case of how thoroughly the figurative use of a word can take over the literal one. The original (and now obsolete) meaning of this word, “to write notes in the margin of,” is analogous to the still-familiar noun marginalia, “marginal notes or embellishments." A margin is, of course, the blank space surrounding the text in a book. Just prior to 1970, marginalize took on the sense that is most commonly encountered today, “to relegate to an unimportant or powerless position” (that is, to the metaphorical margins of society). This use of the verb can be found as far back as 1968; an article in The Los Angeles Times from June 20th of that year reports, “[T]he Negro was kept aside, marginalized, thus composing in its large majority the chronically poor.” In its newer sense, marginalize has assumed a much more prominent place in the vocabulary than it once had.
Examples of marginalize in a Sentence
Gillian Oakenfull, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Instead of its traditional functions of protecting the constitutional rights of minority communities and marginalized people, the administration plans to use the department as an enforcement arm against state and local officials, college administrators and student protesters.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
His emphasis on economic self-reliance and pan-African unity resonates with many who feel marginalized by global power structures.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Advocates say the move could further embolden cities and police departments to marginalize homeless people.
by Nicole Santa Cruz
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
—Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 23 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Marginalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalize. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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marginalize
verb
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