marginalized

American  

[mahr-juh-nl-ahyzd] / ˈmɑr dʒə nlˌaɪzd /

especially British, marginalised

adjective

1. placed in a position of little or no importance, influence, or power.

   Technology has the power to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and strengthen our democracy.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of marginalize.

Etymology

Origin of marginalized

marginalize ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Anyone who's marginalized has been pushed to the edges of society and made to feel insignificant. Marginalized people often include members of racial, cultural, and religious minorities. Marginalized comes from margin, which means "the edge of a page." When groups are marginalized, they're figuratively kept in society's margins, away from the center where power and privilege lies. Marginalized people are labeled as outsiders for reasons such as their skin color, poverty, education level, gender identification, age, or disabilities. At the fringes of society, marginalized people often live without full access to their civil rights.

Example Sentences

“SPLC remains committed to exposing extremism, equipping the public with knowledge and defending the rights and safety of marginalized communities,” a spokesman for the organization said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

“We need more voices — feminist perspectives, stories from marginalized communities, an honest reckoning with colorism and the hierarchies embedded in South Asian culture,” Singh said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Against the backdrop of a society so focused on young people, I can occasionally feel marginalized, relegated to the sidelines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

“There’s a difference between a Christian and a churchgoer. There’s no way Jesus sits on the sidelines while violence against vulnerable and marginalized people is occurring.”

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

By doing so, they created a program called “Celebrating Diversity Through the Arts” geared toward teaching tolerance to kids who have been marginalized by society and don’t feel like they fit in.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers