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
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
We are still hit with this baseless argument today from MAGA supporters who question the rallies and demonstrations objecting to inequality of those who have been marginalized.
—Essence, 20 Jan. 2026
Crucially, Depardon and his impassive camera refuse to pass judgment, letting the subjects—among society’s most vulnerable and marginalized—speak for themselves.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
Regardless, there are ways to find the criminal, but to marginalize the community's name, and a whole people, that is unlawful.
—CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for marginalize
Cite this Entry
“Marginalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalize. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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marginalize
verb
