marginalized

adjective

mar·​gin·​al·​ized ˈmärj-nə-ˌlīzd 

ˈmär-jə-nᵊl-ˌīzd

: relegated to a marginal 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 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 marginalized in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The activists accused the Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee of hurting marginalized communities and falsely labeling any critic of Israel as an antisemite. —Amy Qin, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024

The Lantern Fund exemplifies the importance of lighting pathways toward freedom for marginalized communities. —Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024

And as Clarke points out, the harm is no longer just focused on marginalized communities. —Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024

Barlow said the Texas anti-DEI law makes marginalized communities feel unwanted on campus. —Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024

His projects aim to foster a vibrant literary culture in San Diego, highlighting the power of poetry to build solidarity, empower youth, and give voice to marginalized communities. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2024

This includes speaking up for the marginalized and oppressed, fighting for justice and liberation, and doing Jah’s work. —Debra Edwards, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024

Speakers shared their experiences and insights on how to build opportunities and better markets for specialty crop growers and marginalized producers, those who are often underserved by government programs or face barriers to loans and grants. —The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024

In a section of the letter, Dimon advocated for the importance of DEI, outlining several initiatives at the bank aimed at supporting employees and customers who belong to marginalized groups. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above