demarcate

verb

de·​mar·​cate di-ˈmär-ˌkāt  ˈdē-ˌmär- 

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 education

—Shanay 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.

Synonyms

• bound
• circumscribe
• define
• delimit
• demark
• limit
• mark (off)
• terminate

Examples of demarcate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Keough weaves both voices together in a dual narrative demarcated by type: Lisa Marie’s words are in a serif font, and her own are sans serif. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024

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

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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

demarcate

verb

de·​mar·​cate di-ˈmär-ˌkāt  ˈdē-ˌmär- 

demarcated; demarcating

1

: to mark the limits or boundaries of

2

: to set apart : distinguish sense 4

demarcation

ˌdē-ˌmär-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

demarcate

transitive verb

de·​mar·​cate di-ˈmär-ˌkāt  ˈdē-ˌ 

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

ˌdē-ˌmär-ˈkā-shən