marginalization

¹ American  

[mahr-juh-nl-ahy-zey-shuhn] / ˌmɑr dʒə nl aɪˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, marginalisation

noun

1. the act of placing a person or thing in a position of lesser importance, influence, or power; the state of being placed in such a position.

   The social marginalization of overweight adolescents may further reduce their self-esteem and increase depression.

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marginalization ² American  

[mahr-juhn-uhl-uhz-ay-shuhn, -ahyz-ay-shuhn] / ˌmɑr dʒən əl əzˈeɪ ʃən, -aɪzˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of marginalizing a person, group, or idea.

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Etymology

Origin of marginalization

marginaliz(e) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

Booth wrote “Primary Trust” during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the play speaks softly about the difficult subjects of marginalization, loneliness and difference.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

The author, an older person, embraces talking to strangers to regain lost social connections and counter feelings of marginalization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Growing concerns about physical safety and political marginalization are prompting California’s Jewish community to withdraw from civic engagement and embrace more insular communal structures, particularly among Orthodox populations who face fewer barriers to community cohesion.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025

Inequality and other forms of marginalization and identity overlap and intersect.

From Salon • May 29, 2025

Its long history and gradual marginalization made Sing Sing increasingly different from the state’s other prisons.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover