marginalize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to place in a position of minor or marginal importance, significance, relevance, or effect.
The government is attempting to marginalize criticism and restore public confidence.
-
to isolate or exclude from the dominant culture; perceive or treat as being on the fringes of a society or group.
All of these policies have marginalized our vulnerable sisters and brothers for their religion, skin color, or sexual orientation.
verb
Other Word Forms
- marginalization noun
Etymology
Origin of marginalize
First recorded in 1825–35 for an earlier sense; marginal + -ize
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Efforts to marginalize their participation do not reduce inequality of influence.
From MarketWatch
He ran for president in 1984 and founded the Rainbow Coalition, an advocacy organization that promoted the collaboration of marginalized groups.
From Salon
King's daughter Bernice said Jackson had "devoted his life to lifting people in poverty, the marginalized, and those pushed to society's edges".
From BBC
“There is a long history of marginalized communities receiving less support during times of crisis,” Shimica Gaskins, a fire survivor and member of the group, said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times
“When young voices, and voices from marginalized communities tend to be silenced, sometimes we internalize that and silence ourselves,” Valenzuela said.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
