- past tense form of marginalize.
- past participle of marginalize.
marginalized
Americanadjective
verb
Etymology
Origin of marginalized
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.
Vocabulary lists containing marginalized
RBG's Brave & Brilliant Women
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Boy 2.0
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Nigeria Jones
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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.
Talarico, believing God is on the side of the oppressed and the marginalized, focuses his message to voters on equity and protecting personal freedom.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“If that bothers you, don’t hesitate to mute or block me. I don’t have the capacity or patience to debate with internet strangers as to why they should be considerate of marginalized communities.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
This is a question that Black and brown Americans, and members of other marginalized groups, have been asking themselves for centuries.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
There are also concerns that social media can form an important part of the lives of marginalized young people in particular.
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026
The black people around me were strong and determined but marginalized and excluded.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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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.