redlining

American  

[red-lahy-ning] / ˈrɛdˌlaɪ nɪŋ /

Or red-lining

noun

1. a discriminatory practice by which banks, insurance companies, etc., refuse or limit loans, mortgages, insurance, etc., within specific geographic areas, especially inner-city neighborhoods.

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Etymology

Origin of redlining

redline + -ing ¹, as if banks, insurance companies, etc., had outlined such areas in red on a map

Example Sentences

That’s a shoutout to the grown-ups for bringing the kids and, hopefully, discussing the historical practice of redlining with them after the show.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Insurance brokers who help affordable housing providers have been redoubling their efforts to overcome stereotypes, if not outright redlining discrimination, that historically tended to elevate rates in low-income neighborhoods.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2024

I was saddened to see that the Wing Luke Museum exhibit “Confronting Hate Together,” a collaboration between different communities targeted by redlining, has been closed because of a staff walkout.

From Seattle Times • May 28, 2024

It was still largely segregated, not by district policy, but by redlining.

From Seattle Times • May 15, 2024

He leaned forward to hunch over his desk, and ignoring Scott, he went back to redlining another writer's story.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn