delineate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to trace the outline of; sketch or trace in outline; represent pictorially.
He delineated the state of Texas on the map with a red pencil.
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to portray in words; describe or outline with precision.
In her speech she delineated the city plan with great care.
verb
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to trace the shape or outline of; sketch
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to represent pictorially, as by making a chart or diagram; depict
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to portray in words, esp with detail and precision; describe
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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delineationnoun
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predelineateverb (used with object)
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delineableadjective
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delineativeadjective
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undelineableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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delineatesimple
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delineatessimple
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have delineatedperfect
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has delineatedperfect
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am delineatingprogressive
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are delineatingprogressive
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is delineatingprogressive
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have been delineatingperfect progressive
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has been delineatingperfect progressive
Past
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delineatedsimple
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had delineatedperfect
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was delineatingprogressive
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were delineatingprogressive
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had been delineatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of delineate
First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin dēlīneātus, equivalent to dē- de- + līneātus lineate
Explanation
Though you pronounce it duh-LIN-ee-ate, there is a "line" in the middle of delineate. This might help you remember that to delineate is to outline and define something in detail or with an actual marking of lines and boundaries. When you create an outline for a paper it usually summarizes what you will detail later. You delineate the sections, or mark the heading lines, and when you write the details, you delineate the subject of each heading. So, to delineate is both to mark lines and to fill in the lines. Using a fence to divide properties or a carpet to claim your side of the bedroom also is a way to delineate, or mark, physical boundaries.
Vocabulary lists containing delineate
Vocabulary of the Common Core
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Frankenstein
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "D"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Parenting is such a remarkably simple way to delineate the difference between concept and exercise.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
You can delineate these bequests in a will or in a trust, but either way, the designated administrator becomes responsible for distributing the items and can be held accountable if things go missing.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025
The five charts below delineate risks to the labor market, but also illustrate some positive points.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2025
"Culturally and socially they are completely intertwined. It would be impossible to delineate where one kinship network begins and ends," Lowy Institute Pacific Islands project director Mihai Sora told the BBC.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2024
The definition neglects to mention the maps, the ones that delineate the return trip to normal or the site of the sunken treasure.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
On Wednesday, Anthropic announced a new “services track” for the partner network, describing it as a “tiered structure” that delineates how much effort a partner has put toward its Anthropic business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
But the bill also delineates a number of “excepted purchases” that enable investors to continue buying homes without penalty.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
Since marriage is a milestone that often delineates youth from adulthood, a logical question is how this delay affects retirement saving.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 23, 2026
Lisicky, noted for his prose in both novels and memoirs, beautifully delineates how artists of different kinds influence each other by tracing his discovery of and passion for singer-songwriter Mitchell’s work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2025
But it also delineates a limit, a warning, an outer boundary of sobriety.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Pentagon chief said the move was also aimed at ensuring US "access, basing and overflight are clearly delineated and assured" after some European imposed restrictions on US forces during the Iran war.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
In the opening statement of an international conference held at the bank’s headquarters in Tokyo, Ueda delineated the nuances of how higher energy costs can feed through to inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
The wildfire–urban fire distinction matters because it determines both who is vulnerable to such disasters—a much broader section of neighborhoods than is delineated by fire-risk maps—and how to address the problem.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2025
The role anchors a show that is more a collection of scenarios than a clearly delineated story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2024
It wasn’t visible to her, but the guards had delineated an area within which the prisoners’ relatives were not allowed.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
He and the large L.A.-based produce company have dueling legal complaints over a contract delineating how the fruit was to be marketed and sold.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Their Empire waistlines were more like delineating seams that hit somewhere at the ribcage.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
The care the Framers took in delineating this irreversible presidential power—requiring the president’s personal involvement, and limiting it to certain federal criminal matters—is telling.
From Slate ● May 26, 2026
The related documents have provided the biggest tranche of information about the case thus far, delineating key details in the ongoing investigation, which has been shrouded in secrecy.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026
The prints, not noticeable to the naked eye, registered on film; indeed, the delineating glare of a flashbulb had revealed their presence with superb exactness.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
