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

See Examples For:

redlining

West Altadena, home to a more racially diverse population than the town’s eastern side, stemming from historical redlining, would end up the hardest hit by the fire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025

In the 1960s and 70s, North Lake Avenue in Altadena served as the primary east-west dividing line for redlining practices, according to the Altadena Historical Society.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 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

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