marginalize
verb
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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 marginalize in a Sentence
Kendra Davenport, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Elphaba is really staunch in her views on caring for the marginalized.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 9 Dec. 2024
The program’s initial results include mapping one-third of the world’s schools—as well as connecting and digitally enhancing the learning experience of nearly eight million students from remote, marginalized, and rural communities across 141 countries.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Dec. 2024
Outside the legislature, the ban has come under heavy scrutiny from parents and scholars who say that social media can be a crucial source of support for young people, especially those who feel marginalized.
—Peter Guo, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for marginalize 
Dictionary Entries Near marginalize
Cite this Entry
“Marginalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalize. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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marginalize
verb
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