demarcation
noun
de·mar·ca·tion
ˌdē-ˌmär-ˈkā-shən
plural demarcations
1
: the marking of the limits or boundaries of something : the act, process, or result of demarcating something
the demarcation of property lines
2
: something that marks or constitutes a boundary
a demarcation line
: a marked or perceived distinction between one area, category, etc., and another
The ability to test a theory against physical evidence … has provided a useful demarcation between science and pseudoscience.—Norriss S. Hetherington
Certainly no clear line of demarcation has as yet been drawn between species and sub-species—that is, the forms which in the opinion of some naturalists come very near to, but do not quite arrive at the rank of species.—Charles Darwin
There has been much chatter in recent seasons about the great gender crossover, that deliberate erosion on the runways of a once-rigid demarcation between conventionally feminine and masculine clothes.—Elizabeth Paton
… the continued presence in the modern imagination of a sharp demarcation between public and private space.—AAG Abstracts
Cite this Entry
“Demarcation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demarcation. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.
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