redlining

American  

[red-lahy-ning] / ˈrɛdˌlaɪ nɪŋ /

Or red-lining

noun

1. a discriminatory practice by which banks, insurance companies, etc., refuse or limit loans, mortgages, insurance, etc., within specific geographic areas, especially inner-city neighborhoods.

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Etymology

Origin of redlining

redline + -ing ¹, as if banks, insurance companies, etc., had outlined such areas in red on a map

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

redlining

It brings to mind not just dressing and African-American fashions, but also the historically peripatetic nature of black communities due to the oppression of Jim Crow and redlining.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The historically Black area, where many settled due to redlining east of Lake Avenue, “has definitely felt undervalued and overlooked in many ways,” Carmody said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2025

In the 1960s and 70s, North Lake Avenue in Altadena served as the primary east-west dividing line for redlining practices, according to the Altadena Historical Society.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2025

Insurance brokers who help affordable housing providers have been redoubling their efforts to overcome stereotypes, if not outright redlining discrimination, that historically tended to elevate rates in low-income neighborhoods.

From New York Times ● Jun. 7, 2024

Although studying and writing about architecture is "more than a full-time job," Goldberger manages to keep abreast of the legal aspects of buildings as well, including tenants' rights, rent control, zoning laws and redlining.

From 100 New Yorkers of the 1970s by Max Millard