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demarcate

verb
de·​mar·​cate | \ di-ˈmär-ˌkāt How to pronounce demarcate (audio) , ˈdē-ˌmär- How to pronounce demarcate (audio) \
demarcated; demarcating

Definition of demarcate

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
Other Words from demarcate Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about demarcate

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Did You Know?

Demarcate is set apart by its unique history. Scholars think it may have descended from the Italian verb marcare ("to mark"), which is itself of Germanic origin (the Old High German word for boundary, "marha," is a relative). "Marcare" is the probable source of the Spanish marcar (also "to mark"), from which comes the Spanish demarcar ("to fix the boundary of"). In 1493, a Spanish noun, demarcación, was used to name the new meridian dividing the New World territory between Spain and Portugal. Later (about 1730), English speakers began calling this boundary the "line of demarcation," and eventually we began applying that phrase to other dividing lines as well. "Demarcation" in turn gave rise to "demarcate" in the early 19th century.

Examples of demarcate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Passing a wooden structure demarcating the boundary of the reserve, the delegation arrived just as fishermen began to pull up the massive net, which turned out to be chock full of catfish and carp. — Stefan Lovgren, National Geographic, "River sanctuaries help giant fish recover in Southeast Asia," 25 Apr. 2019 New York City tried something similar, using paint, rubber curb and bollards to demarcate the turn lane. — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "SF redesigns busy intersections as 2019 traffic fatalities outpace last year," 29 Aug. 2019 Chandeliers with arched arms hang from the ceiling, demarcated by hundreds of handwritten paper price tags that dangle in the air like tea bags. — Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, "Sales from a bygone time: The Brass Knob antique store to close after 38 years," 12 Aug. 2019 Equato-Guinean officials are said to have already erected milestones to demarcate the line along which the border wall will be constructed. — Amindeh Blaise Atabong, Quartz Africa, "One of Africa’s wealthiest countries is building a Trump-like wall to stop migrants," 12 Aug. 2019 Viewers either recoiled from or embraced her characters, unconsciously demarcating the limits of socially acceptable female ambition. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "How Reese Witherspoon Built an Empire Out of Blonde Ambition," 31 July 2019 The use of repetition, demarcated by a gunshot that has Betty clutching her stomach before restarting her cleaning ritual, sets up its own dramatic hurdles. — Los Angeles Times, "A new vibrant era in African American playwriting seen in Geraldine Inoa and Dionna M. Daniel’s latest," 28 July 2019 Climbing in these first-generation gyms was often a rough-hewn experience, with homemade walls and holds, dusty air due to poor air filtration systems, and the ubiquitous colored tape that was used to demarcate routes. — Freddie Wilkinson, National Geographic, "Rock climbing: from ancient practice to Olympic sport," 14 Mar. 2019 The jersey is still used to demarcate the race leader today, with one addition: after Desgrange died in 1940, his initials—HD—were added to the waistline. — Michael Waters, Smithsonian, "The Original Tour de France Yellow Jersey Was Made of Wool," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'demarcate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of demarcate

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for demarcate

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

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More Definitions for demarcate

demarcate

verb
How to pronounce demarcate (audio) How to pronounce demarcate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of demarcate

formal : to show the limits or edges of (something)

See the full definition for demarcate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

demarcate

transitive verb
de·​mar·​cate | \ di-ˈmär-ˌkāt How to pronounce demarcate (audio) , ˈdē-ˌ How to pronounce demarcate (audio) \
demarcated; demarcating

Medical Definition of demarcate

1 : to mark or determine the limits of
2 : to set apart clearly or distinctly as if by definite limits or boundaries

Other Words from demarcate

demarcation also demarkation \ ˌdē-​ˌmär-​ˈkā-​shən How to pronounce demarkation (audio) \ noun

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