delineate
verb
de·lin·eate
| \ di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt
, dē-\
, dē-\
delineated;
delineating
Definition of delineate
2a
: to indicate or represent by drawn or painted lines
b
: to mark the outline of
lights delineating the narrow streets
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Other Words from delineate
delineator
\ di-ˈli-nē-ˌā-tər
, dē- \
noun
, dē- \
noun
Synonyms for delineate
Synonyms
define, outline, silhouette, sketch, trace
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Examples of delineate in a Sentence
He plants his skates millimeters outside the blue-tinted 44-square-foot arena that delineates the crease and refuses to budge …
— Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 21 May 2007
Screenwriter Christopher Hampton introduces a large gallery of characters, subtly delineating the unspoken class biases that will keep Robbie, for all his confidence, charm and Cambridge education, an outsider.
— David Ansen, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2007
So Madrid finally ordered Onís to cut the best deal he could. The resulting Transcontinental (or Adams-Onís) Treaty of 1819 ceded Florida to the United States and delineated the boundary between American and Spanish territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean …
— Walter A. McDougall, Promised Land, Crusader State, 1997
Privacy plays a unique role in American law. Although considered a core value by most citizens, it is not explicitly delineated as a protected right by the U.S. Constitution.
— Edward A. Cavazos et al., Cyberspace and the Law, 1994
The report clearly delineates the steps that must be taken.
The characters in the story were carefully delineated.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Not to mention fine china and silverware serve to delineate the haves (first and business class) from the have-nots (economy). — Jasmin Malik Chua, Vox, "The best $3,000 I ever spent: training for my unruly dog," 9 July 2019 The fictional Yaakov, whose voiceover narration helps delineate many of the plot points, is such a dynamic central character that viewers will likely relate to his passion even if becoming discomfited by the sometimes inflammatory populist rhetoric. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Unorthodox': Film Review," 14 June 2019 The Medicare Advantage plans receive fixed payments from Medicare for each member based on detailed data delineating their health risks––the sicker the patient, the higher the payment. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "Private Insurance Can’t Survive Under Kamala Harris’ Healthcare Plan. Here’s Why," 1 Aug. 2019 Chen’s statues come into view after billboards plugging Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner; they are followed by 10 wooden signs delineating the Commandments and a prayer hotline. — Matthew Ormseth, latimes.com, "With Tiananmen Square ‘Tank Man,’ Chinese sculptor will keep democracy’s flame alive in Mojave," 3 June 2019 The program identified natural habitats that should be preserved in North County to protect native and potentially endangered plants and animals, while delineating areas where development could proceed with minimal environmental harm. — Michael J. Williams, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Encinitas to step up habitat management," 9 May 2019 Medieval scholars of Islamic law delineated two basic forms of armed jihad: defensive jihad, an armed struggle against invaders; and aggressive jihad, a preemptive or offensive attack commissioned by a political authority. — Mohammad Hassan Khalil, The Conversation, "So, what really is jihad?," 20 June 2019 John Wittman, an Abbott spokesman, said there’s no written policy that strictly delineates what should be done on each account. — James Barragán, Dallas News, "Can your elected official block you on Twitter or Facebook? New Texas case may provide an answer," 25 June 2019 Soderberry refers specifically to the economic trade terms of passthrough and burdens, which delineate where the imposition of the tariffs actually lands and who pays them. — NBC News, "Trump's Mexico tariffs, set to begin Monday, will hit Americans' wallets and jobs," 7 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'delineate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for delineate
delineate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of delineate
formal
: to clearly show or describe (something)
See the full definition for delineate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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