marginalized

adjective

mar·​gin·​al·​ized ˈmär-jə-nᵊl-ˌīzd 

ˈmärj-nə-ˌlīzd

: having marginal social or political status : relegated to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group

Refugees are the world's quintessentially marginalized population: They are by definition located at the edge, beyond boundaries, on the outside.

—Tamar Mayer

… the domination and oppression of women and other marginalized groups within patriarchal culture.

—Susan M. Squier

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 marginalized in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s the hardest thing for people in any marginalized community. —Them, 11 Dec. 2024

Beckwith’s leadership continues to shape the Guggenheim’s global vision and exemplifies her dedication to elevating marginalized voices in her field. —Okla Jones, Essence, 6 Dec. 2024

The Fiji Melanesians are considered one of the country’s most marginalized and disadvantaged groups due to decades of neglect by the British colonial government. —Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024

Von Hippel, now the director of the Royal United Services Institute, a leading London think tank, believes a Trump win would cause the U.S. to become more marginalized globally. —Alexander Smith, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above