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
Norriss S. HetheringtonCertainly 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
Charles DarwinThere 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
Elizabeth Paton… the continued presence in the modern imagination of a sharp demarcation between public and private space.—AAG Abstracts
AAG AbstractsSynonyms
Examples of demarcation in a Sentence
the lines of demarcation between art and entertainment are often blurry
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2022, Chinese aircraft began routinely flying over the median line in the Taiwan Strait, a demarcation that both sides had previously respected for over half a century.
—David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
There’s also clearer demarcations between casual and dressier fashions.
—David Moin, WWD, 17 Oct. 2024
Of those, 111 warplanes crossed the Median Line – an informal demarcation point in the Taiwan Strait that Beijing does not recognize, but until recent years had largely respected – and entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
—Wayne Chang, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024
Video released by South Korea's Defense Ministry shows explosions along roads on the north side of the military demarcation line that separates the two Koreas.
—Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for demarcation 
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David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
There’s also clearer demarcations between casual and dressier fashions.
—David Moin, WWD, 17 Oct. 2024
Of those, 111 warplanes crossed the Median Line – an informal demarcation point in the Taiwan Strait that Beijing does not recognize, but until recent years had largely respected – and entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
—Wayne Chang, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024
Video released by South Korea's Defense Ministry shows explosions along roads on the north side of the military demarcation line that separates the two Koreas.
—Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for demarcation
Dictionary Entries Near demarcation
Cite this Entry
“Demarcation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demarcation. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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