delineation

noun

de·​lin·​ea·​tion di-ˌli-nē-ˈā-shən 

dē-

1

: the act of outlining or representing something with lines or words : the act of delineating

the delineation of a scene

… the delineation of the territories allotted to the seven tribes of Israel …

—Adam Nicholson

2

: something made by delineating

a photographic delineation of low life

—T. S. Eliot

delineative

di-ˈli-nē-ˌā-tiv 

dē-

adjective

Synonyms

• cartoon
• drawing
• sketch

Examples of delineation in a Sentence

his simple but striking delineations of Dutch landscapes

a finely wrought delineation of a young woman's first experience with romantic love

Recent Examples on the Web

The middle movement of the Second Quartet, which portrays heated arguments among four friends, needed a more characterful delineation of the clashing lines. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Originally intended as a Max original, the show shifted to HBO as part of a new content delineation plan. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024

Creators of all kinds prioritize personality and charm over journalistic rigor and information; as with the medium itself, the delineation between what matters for what reason has broken down. —Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

The show even made its debut at the Venice Film Festival, further underlining the increasingly amorphous delineation between the small and silver screen. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin dēlīneātiōn-, dēlīneātiō "description," from Latin dēlīneāre "to trace the outline of, delineate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1