demarcate

verb

de·​mar·​cate di-ˈmär-ˌkāt How to pronounce demarcate (audio) ˈdē-ˌmär- How to pronounce demarcate (audio)
demarcated; demarcating

transitive verb

1
: delimit
a plot of land demarcated by a low stone wall
2
: to set apart : distinguish
demarcate teachers as mentor, master and model teachers based on their level of educationShanay Cadette

Did you know?

It’s reasonable to assume that demarcate inspired the noun demarcation—many a noun has been formed by adding the suffix -ion to an existing verb. But in this case you'd also be wrong; demarcation came first, with the verb demarcate following as a back-formation. We can ultimately thank Spanish for both: the Spanish noun demarcación (from demarcar, "to delimit") was used in 1493 to name a meridian dividing New World territory between Spain and Portugal. (A Spanish-born pope chose a meridian that favored Spain greatly.) Centuries later, English speakers began calling this boundary the "line of demarcation," and eventually applied that phrase to other dividing lines as well. By the early 19th century, demarcation had been verbified to create demarcate.

Examples of demarcate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Members of the Armadillos built wooden crosses to demarcate potential migrant remains found during their searches. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 19 Sep. 2024 The husband’s concerns about noise in a busy, if not chaotic, household, were addressed by installing upholstered walls in the dining room and in the primary bedroom, where timbers reclaimed from the renovation demarcate the high-ceilinged space. Michael Boodro, Architectural Digest, 9 Sep. 2024 The death toll among Palestinians has risen to nearly 40,000, according to the health ministry there, whose numbers do not demarcate between civilians and combatants. Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2024 That name is one ironic gag; another punchline comes every time that onscreen text demarcates each space, only for there to be a near total absence of perceptible difference between the sites. Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for demarcate 

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from demarcation, from Spanish demarcación, from demarcar to delimit, from de- + marcar to mark, probably from Italian marcare, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German marha boundary — more at mark

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of demarcate was in 1816

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Dictionary Entries Near demarcate

Cite this Entry

“Demarcate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demarcate. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

demarcate

verb
de·​mar·​cate di-ˈmär-ˌkāt How to pronounce demarcate (audio) ˈdē-ˌmär- How to pronounce demarcate (audio)
demarcated; demarcating
1
: to mark the limits or boundaries of
2
: to set apart : distinguish sense 4
demarcation noun

Medical Definition

demarcate

transitive verb
de·​mar·​cate di-ˈmär-ˌkāt How to pronounce demarcate (audio) ˈdē-ˌ How to pronounce demarcate (audio)
demarcated; demarcating
1
: to mark or determine the limits of
2
: to set apart clearly or distinctly as if by definite limits or boundaries
demarcation noun
also demarkation

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