marginalize
verb
Did you know?
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
Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
The same tactics once used to marginalize gay and lesbian Americans are being deployed today against transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex people.
—Chris Ward, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
But with the latter somewhat marginalized in the Braves' lineup compared to his true talent level, might these seemingly innocuous signings signal a willingness to make a trade?
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Police and the media classified Gacy’s victims as male prostitutes and homosexuals, using that as an excuse to marginalize and blame them.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
marginalize
verb
Share