redline

1 of 2

noun

red·​line ˈred-ˈlīn 

: a recommended safety limit : the fastest, farthest, or highest point or degree considered safe

also : the red line which marks this point on a gauge

redline

2 of 2

verb

red·​line ˈred-ˌlīn  -ˈlīn 

redlined; redlining; redlines

intransitive verb

: to withhold home-loan funds or insurance from neighborhoods considered poor economic risks

transitive verb

: to discriminate against in housing or insurance

Examples of redline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Most recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the administration over reports that negotiators would seek territorial concessions from Kyiv—a redline Zelensky has repeatedly stressed his country will not cross. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

October will be a redline for Microsoft users for more than just Windows 10 and the hard slog to push users to Windows 11. —Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Verb

The attorneys cited restrictive covenants that prevented the sales of homes to Black people, redlining, mortgage lending discrimination, and segregation in public housing. —Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb. 2025

Equality is not the solution; many Black employees have experienced decades of economic and emotional trauma stemming from redlining, policing, environmental exploitation, pay inequity, and more. —Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1968, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for redline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine