marginalize

especially British, mar·gin·al·ise

[mahr-juh-nl-ahyz]

verb (used with object)

marginalized, marginalizing 

1. to place in a position of minor or marginal importance, significance, relevance, or effect.

   The government is attempting to marginalize criticism and restore public confidence.

2. to isolate or exclude from the dominant culture; perceive or treat as being on the fringes of a society or group.

   All of these policies have marginalized our vulnerable sisters and brothers for their religion, skin color, or sexual orientation.

marginalize

/ ˈmɑːdʒɪnəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to relegate to the fringes, out of the mainstream; make seem unimportant

   various economic assumptions marginalize women

Other Word Forms

• marginalization noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of marginalize¹

First recorded in 1825–35 for an earlier sense; marginal + -ize

Example Sentences

Robert W. Fieseler is a journalist investigating marginalized groups and a scholar excavating forgotten histories.

Read more on Salon

The CEOs are pretty candid about not wanting to be marginalized.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The bill regulates classroom discussions on “controversial beliefs” like immigration, closes campus identity centers for marginalized students and evaluates professors on students’ opinions of whether they created an unbiased classroom environment.

Read more on Salon

“They all speak the same language, but there wasn’t a villain who used sign language. Historically, there have been Deaf criminals, but our history has been marginalized.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Kirk was eager to weaponize language against some of the most marginalized and vulnerable among us.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• deprecate 
• diminish 
• disparage 
• downplay