demarcate

[ dih-mahr-keyt, dee-mahr-keyt ]
See synonyms for demarcate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),de·mar·cat·ed, de·mar·cat·ing.
  1. to determine or mark off the boundaries or limits of: to demarcate a piece of property.

  2. to separate distinctly: to demarcate the lots with fences.

Origin of demarcate

1
First recorded in 1810–20; back formation from demarcation

Other words from demarcate

  • de·mar·ca·tor, noun

Words Nearby demarcate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use demarcate in a sentence

  • We used Flor Fedora carpet tiles to demarcate the display areas, in place of heavy platforms.

    The Curator's Tale | Ellen Lupton | July 7, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Out at Hillside the stones that demarcate the territory of an old-fashioned house are new and snowily whitewashed.

    Pipefuls | Christopher Morley
  • General Liu and I proposed to demarcate south of the Taiping.

    A Civil Servant in Burma | Herbert Thirkel White

British Dictionary definitions for demarcate

demarcate

/ (ˈdiːmɑːˌkeɪt) /


verb(tr)
  1. to mark, fix, or draw the boundaries, limits, etc, of

  2. to separate or distinguish between (areas with unclear boundaries)

Derived forms of demarcate

  • demarcator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012