marginalized
adjective
Tamar MayerSusan M. Squier
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Marginalized Writing vs. Marginalized People
Marginalize provides a striking case of how thoroughly the figurative use of a word can take over the literal one. The original (and now obsolete) meaning of this word, “to write notes in the margin of,” is analogous to the still-familiar noun marginalia, “marginal notes or embellishments." A margin is, of course, the blank space surrounding the text in a book. Just prior to 1970, marginalize took on the sense that is most commonly encountered today, “to relegate to an unimportant or powerless position” (that is, to the metaphorical margins of society). This use of the verb can be found as far back as 1968; an article in The Los Angeles Times from June 20th of that year reports, “[T]he Negro was kept aside, marginalized, thus composing in its large majority the chronically poor.” In its newer sense, marginalize has assumed a much more prominent place in the vocabulary than it once had.
Examples of marginalized in a Sentence
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 July 2025
The Missing Voices Project, a religious network in Florida that supports marginalized youths, is providing $16,000 toward the collaborative, Ellis said.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025
For marginalized teens, including LGBTQ+ teens, online connections to supportive communities can literally be lifesavers.
—Joseph Kelly, Boston Herald, 9 July 2025
The governor goes on the podcast episode to note how marginalized communities are more likely to commit suicide and have anxiety and depression.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for marginalized
Cite this Entry
“Marginalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalized. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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