delineate
verb
de·lin·eate
di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt 
dē-
delineated; delineating
1
2
a
: to indicate or represent by drawn or painted lines
b
: to mark the outline of
lights delineating the narrow streets
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
The report clearly delineates the steps that must be taken.
The characters in the story were carefully delineated.
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
The report clearly delineates the steps that must be taken.
The characters in the story were carefully delineated.
Recent Examples on the Web
The instrument is a manifested vessel of blood, cultural, and generational heritage and knowledge that delineated the family’s lineage; despite living in a time that sought to erase their everyday existence.
—Malik William, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
When a recall is made by the FDA, risk classifications are used to delineate the seriousness of the risk to the public.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
This helps to pinpoint not only that the culprit was Quarter Pounders, but to delineate more specifically whether the meat in the Quarter Pounders or something else on the Quarter Pounders, such as onions, is the likely cause.
—Mark Kortepeter, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
In each episode, the audience not only pieces together the different timelines and storylines, Cuarón uses different modes of voice-over and cinematic language to delineate the series’ different perspectives.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for delineate 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Malik William, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
When a recall is made by the FDA, risk classifications are used to delineate the seriousness of the risk to the public.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
This helps to pinpoint not only that the culprit was Quarter Pounders, but to delineate more specifically whether the meat in the Quarter Pounders or something else on the Quarter Pounders, such as onions, is the likely cause.
—Mark Kortepeter, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
In each episode, the audience not only pieces together the different timelines and storylines, Cuarón uses different modes of voice-over and cinematic language to delineate the series’ different perspectives.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for delineate
Dictionary Entries Near delineate
Cite this Entry
“Delineate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delineate. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
delineate
verb
de·lin·eate
di-ˈlin-ē-ˌāt
delineated; delineating
1
: to indicate by lines : sketch
2
: to describe in sharp or vivid detail
delineate the characters in a story
delineation
noun
-ˌlin-ē-ˈā-shən
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share