delineate

10 synonyms and 2 antonyms for delineate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To draw the outer shape or outline of something.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

trace draw line describe define

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

outline specify

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

limn delimitate delimit

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To draw the outer shape or outline of something.

“Bellmark delineated the space and began to dig. After clearing to about a foot deep he paused.”

trace draw line outline specify limn describe delimitate delimit define

Opposites

erase

2. verb

To explain or show something using words or actions.

Opposites

misrepresent

Etymology

First attested in 1559; borrowed from Latin dēlīneātus, perfect passive participle of dēlīneo (“to sketch out, to delineate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from dē- + līnea (“line”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern Engli...

Full origin of delineate →

People also searched

line draw describe define trace outline specify erase limn misrepresent

Nearby words

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