delineate

verb

de·​lin·​eate di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt 

dē-

delineated; delineating

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 

dē-

noun

Synonyms

• define
• outline
• silhouette
• sketch
• trace

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

The solution is to delineate roles and hire for specialized skills. —Peter Sanchez, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Opening with a Teddy Pendergrass sample and treating him like a combo of the Harvey Weinstein and the Rachel Dolezal of rap, Kendrick delineated, revoking Drake’s membership. —Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024

Each bank reportedly owned a particular colorway or fabric, while the thickness and spacing of the stripes themselves delineated a person’s rank within the company. —Leah Dolan, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024

Here, in Lebanon’s capital, life has been delineated by similar sounds and sights of conflict for decades. —Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025

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

Kids 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

-ˌlin-ē-ˈā-shən

noun

delineator

-ˈlin-ē-ˌāt-ər 

noun