redline

American  

[red-lahyn, red-lahyn] / ˈrɛdˌlaɪn, ˈrɛdˈlaɪn /

Or red-line

verb (used with object)

redlined, redlining

1. to treat by redlining (an area or neighborhood).

2. to establish the recommended safe speed of (an airplane).

   The bomber is redlined at 650 miles an hour.

3. to draw a canceling red line through (an item on a list).

4. to mark or designate for cancellation, rejection, dismissal, or the like.

   club members redlined for unpaid dues.

5. to cause (an airplane) to be grounded.

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verb (used without object)

redlined, redlining

1. to engage in redlining.

noun

1. Automotive.

   1. the maximum rotational speed, or angular velocity, of the engine crankshaft that is considered safe: often measured in rpm.

   2. a red line or boundary of a red area that delineates such a value, as on a tachometer.

redline British  

/ ˈrɛdˌlaɪn /

verb

1. (esp of a bank or group of banks) to refuse a loan to (a person or country) because of the presumed risks involved

2. to restrict people's access to goods or services on the basis of the area in which they live

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Other Word Forms

• redliner
  noun

Etymology

Origin of redline

First recorded in 1940–45; red ¹ + line ¹

Explanation

To redline is to deny someone a loan based on where they live. This discriminatory practice is based on identifying neighborhoods with many residents who are poor, Black, or members of other ethnic minorities. It was once common for banks to redline, based on the bigoted belief that nonwhite people were less likely to repay loans. Other kinds of redlining include denying people insurance, healthcare, voting access, and fresh food because of their address. Prior to the 1960s, to redline was to "mark in red ink." The term's current definition came from the practice of marking areas on a map to delineate the neighborhoods in which non-white people and other ethnic minorities lived.

Example Sentences

What only seems familiar: Powering out of a slow corner with the pedal pinned, the car pulling its guts out, stretching for the redline, revs quavering at the upshifts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Kazakhstan's Rybakina, whose power from the baseline is among the very best when she finds her groove, continued to redline in the second set.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

A lone rider leaves the redline at Union Station.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2025

“AI must be guided in a direction that is conducive to the progress of humanity, so there should be a redline in AI development — a red line that must not be crossed,” without elaborating.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2024

They were past redline now, flying at 220 miles per hour and in danger of ripping the plane’s wings off.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

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