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
Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Nationalism has thrived under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, including on China’s tightly regulated social media platforms where moderate voices have been marginalized and online discourse can turn ugly when discussing foreigners.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
For 100 years following the Civil War, gerrymandering was used to marginalize Black voters.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025
Under Nelson, leaders also strengthened restrictions on members who pursued gender-affirming medical treatments or adopted new names, pronouns, or forms of dress, drawing criticism that the measures marginalized transgender members.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for marginalize
Cite this Entry
“Marginalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalize. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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marginalize
verb
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