delineate

verb

de·​lin·​eate di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt How to pronounce delineate (audio)
dē-
delineated; delineating
Synonyms of delineatenext

transitive verb

1
: to describe, portray, or set forth with accuracy or in detail
delineate a character in the story
delineate the steps to be taken by the government
2
a
: to indicate or represent by drawn or painted lines
b
: to mark the outline of
lights delineating the narrow streets
delineator
di-ˈli-nē-ˌā-tər How to pronounce delineate (audio)
dē-
noun

Synonyms

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Examples of delineate in a Sentence

He plants his skates millimeters outside the blue-tinted 44-square-foot arena that delineates the crease and refuses to budge … — Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 21 May 2007
Screenwriter Christopher Hampton introduces a large gallery of characters, subtly delineating the unspoken class biases that will keep Robbie, for all his confidence, charm and Cambridge education, an outsider. — David Ansen, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2007
So Madrid finally ordered Onís to cut the best deal he could. The resulting Transcontinental (or Adams-Onís) Treaty of 1819 ceded Florida to the United States and delineated the boundary between American and Spanish territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean … — Walter A. McDougall, Promised Land, Crusader State, 1997
Privacy plays a unique role in American law. Although considered a core value by most citizens, it is not explicitly delineated as a protected right by the U.S. Constitution. — Edward A. Cavazos et al., Cyberspace and the Law, 1994
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At most institutions, the promotion and tenure process is meticulously delineated, but the influences of the individual elements in the process are not well understood. — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 The categories are delineated by color in terms of difficulty. — William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 By failing to delineate bitcoin’s resilience and liquidity advantage, Trump’s advisors invite exactly that sort of risk. — Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 Approved in 2014, these AVAs were delineated by geographic boundaries that considered the natural diversity of the soils and other dominant conditions of each microclimate. — Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for delineate

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin dēlīneātus, past participle of dēlīneāre "to trace the outline of," from dē- de- + līneāre "to make straight, mark with lines," derivative of līnea "string, cord, line entry 1"

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of delineate was in 1559

Rhymes for delineate

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Browse Nearby Words

delineate
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Cite this Entry

“Delineate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delineate. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

delineate

verb
de·​lin·​eate di-ˈlin-ē-ˌāt How to pronounce delineate (audio)
delineated; delineating
1
: to indicate by lines : sketch
2
: to describe in sharp or vivid detail
delineate the characters in a story
delineation
-ˌlin-ē-ˈā-shən
noun
delineator
-ˈlin-ē-ˌāt-ər How to pronounce delineate (audio)
noun

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