Dictionary

demarcation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌdɛm.ɑɹˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (Canada, US)
• /ˌdɛm.ɑːˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (UK)
• /ˌdiː.maːˈkæɪ.ʃən/ (Australia)
• /ˌdiː.mɑːˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌdi.mɑɹˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (Canada, US)

Etymology

First recorded c.1752, from Spanish línea de demarcación and/or Portuguese linha de demarcação, the demarcation line laid down by the Pope on May 4, 1493, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal on a line 100 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. Both derive from demarcar, from de- + marcar (“to mark”), from Italian marcare, from the same Germanic root as march.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit, notably by belligerents signing a treaty or ceasefire.
2. (countable, uncountable) A limit thus fixed, in full demarcation line.
   • About sunset, he was leaning on the remains of an old wall, which had once probably surrounded a Roman encampment, and now served as a line of demarcation between two villages, as jealous of each other's claims as near neighbours usually are. 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, pages 48–49:
3. (countable, uncountable) Any strictly defined separation.
   • In the sea there is no demarcation between the hunter and the hunted, as there is on the African plains. 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 7:
   • 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; or, again, between sub-species and well-marked varieties, or between lesser varieties and individual differences. These differences blend into each other in an insensible series; and a series impresses the mind with the idea of an actual passage. 1859, Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species:
   • There is an alleged, in fact somewhat artificial demarcation in the type of work done by members of different trade unions.

Forms

Deriveds

demarcational · demarcated · demarcate

Relateds

demark · marcation · demarcation potential · demarcation line · demarc

Translations (58)

pt demarcação (strictly defined separation) · fr démarcation (thus fixed limit) · bg разграничение (strictly defined separation) · fi tulitaukolinja (thus fixed limit) · pl demarkacja (strictly defined separation) · es demarcación (thus fixed limit) · da demarkationslinje (thus fixed limit) · nl afbakening (strictly defined separation) · ru разделе́ние (thus fixed limit) · ca demarcació (thus fixed limit) · ru разграниче́ние (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · nl demarkatie (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · fi demarkaatiolinja (thus fixed limit) · fi rajaus (strictly defined separation) · nl aflijning (strictly defined separation) · ru разграниче́ние (strictly defined separation) · ru разграниче́ние (thus fixed limit) · el χάραξη ορίων (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · cs vymezení (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · ru демарка́ция (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · fi rajaus (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · hy սահմանազատում (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · nl demarkatielijn (thus fixed limit) · es frontera (thus fixed limit) · it demarcazione (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · nl grenslijn (thus fixed limit) · pt demarcação (thus fixed limit) · nl demarcatie (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · bg разграничение (thus fixed limit) · fi rajalinja (thus fixed limit) · el διαχωρισμός (strictly defined separation) · de Abgrenzung (strictly defined separation) · es demarcación (strictly defined separation) · hi रेखांकन (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · nl demarcatielijn (thus fixed limit) · da grænsedragning (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · id demarkasi (thus fixed limit) · es demarcación (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · ru размежева́ние (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · pl demarkacja (thus fixed limit) · el οροθεσία (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · ca demarcació (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · yi דעמאַרק (thus fixed limit) · fr démarcation (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · id demarkasi (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · nl afgrenzing (strictly defined separation) · pl demarkacja (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · sv avgränsning (thus fixed limit) · yi דעמאַרקאַציע (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · da afgrænsning (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · fi raja (thus fixed limit) · fi rajanveto (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · pt demarcação (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · da grænse (strictly defined separation) · bg разграничаване (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · yi דעמאַרקאַציע (thus fixed limit) · fi demarkaatio (act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit) · da faggrænse (strictly defined separation)