delineate

[ dih-lin-ee-eyt ]

/ dɪˈlɪn iˌeɪt /

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See synonyms for: delineate / delineated / delineating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), de·lin·e·at·ed, de·lin·e·at·ing.

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.

to portray in words; describe or outline with precision: In her speech she delineated the city plan with great care.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of delineate

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin dēlīneātus, equivalent to dē- de- + līneātus lineate

OTHER WORDS FROM delineate

de·lin·e·a·ble

[dih-lin-ee-uh-buhl], /dɪˈlɪn i ə bəl/, adjectivepre·de·lin·e·ate, verb (used with object), pre·de·lin·e·at·ed, pre·de·lin·e·at·ing.un·de·lin·e·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby delineate

DeLillo, delimit, delimitate, delimitation, delimiter, delineate, delineated, delineation, delineator, delineavit, delink

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use delineate in a sentence

Now, as the federal budget gets hammered out through the reconciliation process, Neguse says they are trying to consolidate those multiple proposals to delineate how the corps would operate and where the money would flow.
We Need a Civilian Climate Corps to Take on Today’s Crises|lwhelan|July 31, 2021|Outside Online
It is unfair and potentially even deceptive to try to peer into her head and delineate the exact shape of those demons as she tries to decide whether to compete again in Tokyo.
Simone Biles was abandoned by American Olympic officials, and the torment hasn’t stopped|Sally Jenkins|July 29, 2021|Washington Post
Over 200 hundred years later, we are still using these measurements to delineate federal, state, and private land boundaries.
We Mapped the West 200 Years Ago, and We’re Still Living with the Mistakes|abarronian|July 12, 2021|Outside Online
It’s useful to delineate those efforts — and to contextualize or rebut them — in defense of our collective and accurate memory of what occurred.
How the right is trying to reshape the history of the Jan. 6 riot|Philip Bump|June 17, 2021|Washington Post

Right now on the Colorado River, those entities are renegotiating what are called interim guidelines, which outline the water levels that trigger those planned cutbacks and delineate which places have to sacrifice water first.
The Drought in the West Is Bad and It’s Gonna Get Worse|Heather Hansman|June 16, 2021|Outside Online
Stereotypes exist to delineate but also in order to be defied.
In Praise of ‘Awkward’: OMFG MTV, Like, Really Gets High School|Amy Zimmerman|June 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lapid has spent considerable effort trying to delineate the middle class—which many argued was a key component of his voter base.
How is Lapid Faring So Far?|Brent E. Sasley|April 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Another helpful feature on the site is a glossary of terms that delineate the various stages of mall decrepitude.
What's in Store for the Suburban Mall?|Lee Eisenberg|March 18, 2009|DAILY BEAST
In this short study my one idea all through has been to delineate Mohammed as he was and Islam as she is.
Islam Her Moral And Spiritual Value|Arthur Glyn Leonard
Vide Owen's Geological Report, for the first attempt to delineate the order of the various local and general formations.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
We also sweep the arc f to enable us to delineate the line A g'.
Watch and Clock Escapements|Anonymous
Here, again, we draw the arc a b c and delineate a tooth as before.
Watch and Clock Escapements|Anonymous
We will now proceed to delineate an escape wheel for a detached lever.
Watch and Clock Escapements|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for delineate

delineate

/ (dɪˈlɪnɪˌeɪt) /

verb (tr)

to trace the shape or outline of; sketch

to represent pictorially, as by making a chart or diagram; depict

to portray in words, esp with detail and precision; describe

Derived forms of delineate

delineable, adjectivedelineation, noundelineative, adjective

Word Origin for delineate

C16: from Latin dēlīneāre to sketch out, from līnea line 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

delineate

Origin of delineate

OTHER WORDS FROM delineate

Words nearby delineate

Words related to delineate

How to use delineate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for delineate

Derived forms of delineate

Word Origin for delineate