marginalized

adjective

mar·​gin·​al·​ized ˈmär-jə-nᵊl-ˌīzd 

ˈmärj-nə-ˌlīzd

: having marginal social or political status : relegated to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group

Refugees are the world's quintessentially marginalized population: They are by definition located at the edge, beyond boundaries, on the outside.

—Tamar Mayer

… the domination and oppression of women and other marginalized groups within patriarchal culture.

—Susan M. Squier

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 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 marginalized in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The abuses have sparked outrage and fear among South Sudanese nationals and marginalized groups in Khartoum, seen as having ties to RSF, who have recruited mercenaries from South Sudan. —Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 16 May 2025

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett accepted the advocate of the year Webby Award, presented by NAACP President Derrick Johnson, recognizing her use of platforms to drive national conversations, mobilize communities, and champion the rights of marginalized groups across the Internet and beyond. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 13 May 2025

For the past 100 days, the Catholic Church has avoided taking an active stance against the administration’s mistreatment of immigrants, the marginalized and the poor. —Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025

Lead with clarity, hold space for marginalized voices and make decisions that connect strategy to humanity. —Dr. Cassandra Henderson, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for marginalized

• americanized
• anathematized
• collateralized
• contextualized
• conventionalized
• demilitarized
• demineralized
• departmentalized
• industrialised
• industrialized
• materialised
• materialized