demarcate · verb — to mark the limits or boundaries of something; to delimit. It carries an Arena rating of 1656, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, demarcate ranks #1,424 of 17,137 for Most Elegant Words, #2,004 of 17,147 for Most Malleable Words, #2,590 of 17,137 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,859 of 17,135 for Most Satisfying to Say.
demarcate is pronounced /ˈdiːmɑːˌkeɪt/.
Why “demarcate” is a great word
DEMARCATE — [Verb] To mark the limits or boundaries of something; to set apart or distinguish. The word is a back-formation from 'demarcation', itself from Spanish 'demarcación', from 'de-' (from) + 'marcar' (to mark), from Old Provençal 'marcar', of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German 'marha' (boundary). First attested in English c. 1816. Unlike "separate," which implies causing disconnection, or "distinguish," which points out inherent difference, to demarcate is to define the precise line where separation occurs. It is the painted stripe on the gymnasium floor, the notched stone between farmlands, and the sober clause in a treaty that transforms a river into a sovereign edge—a testament to our perpetual need to carve the continuous world into manageable pieces.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Back-formation from demarcation.
verb
- To mark the limits or boundaries of something; to delimit.
- To mark the difference between two causes of action; to distinguish.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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