marginalize
verb
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 word 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 marginalize in a Sentence
TIME, 23 Apr. 2024
More fundamentally, programs and policies designed to expand opportunities to employees who have been historically marginalized in the workplace do not discriminate.
—Ming-Qi Chu, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
The lawsuit argues that the Advanced Placement African American Studies classes taught in Arkansas' public schools have received inequitable treatment and have been marginalized and underfunded when compared to other advanced placement courses.
—Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2024
Obesity — like so many diseases — disproportionately affects people in racial and ethnic groups that have been marginalized by the U.S. healthcare system.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
In recent years, party leaders have taken actions that critics say marginalize minorities and embolden extremist groups.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Gun violence disproportionately affects children, teenagers and the marginalized in our communities.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
The social stakes of slouching are also higher for the politically marginalized.
—Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
Determined to consolidate his power, Abiy turned against those leaders, marginalizing some, detaining others, and using military repression against the guerillas of the Oromo Liberation Front.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marginalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near marginalize
Cite this Entry
“Marginalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalize. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
marginalize
verb
Share