delineate

[ dih-lin-ee-eyt ]

/ dɪˈlɪn iˌeɪt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR delineate 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.

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Origin of delineate

1550–60; < Latin dēlīneātus, equivalent to dē- de- + līneātus lineate

OTHER WORDS FROM delineate

de·lin·e·a·ble

[dih-lin-ee-uh-buh l] /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, adjectiveun·de·lin·e·at·ed, adjective

well-de·lin·e·at·ed, adjective

Words nearby delineate

delillo, delimit, delimitate, delimiter, delimiting keratotomy, delineate, delineation, delineator, delineavit, delink, delinquency

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for delineate

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
He could, and did, delineate character consistently if you like.
The Bridling of Pegasus|Alfred Austin

To delineate in a few words the character of the Poverello of Assisi is indeed a difficult task.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 8|Various
First delineate the path of the point and root of one blade through half a revolution as in Fig. 39.
The Library of Work and Play: Mechanics, Indoors and Out|Fred T. Hodgson
But several of our earliest plays, as has been partly seen, delineate the prevailing manners of English life.
Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries, Vol. 1|Henry Hallam
But when she comes to delineate the Radical, he turns out to be a Positivist—of good quality of his kind, but still not a Radical.
Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 1 (of 2)|George Jacob Holyoake

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

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

QUIZZES

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUNCTUATION QUIZ

Origin of delineate

OTHER WORDS FROM delineate

Words nearby delineate

Words related to delineate

Example sentences from the Web for delineate

British Dictionary definitions for delineate

verb (tr)

Derived forms of delineate

Word Origin for delineate