marginalize
verb
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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 word 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 marginalize in a Sentence
Andrew Prokop, Vox, 9 Aug. 2024
With this development, Cornejo Villavicencio seems to suggest that, in a country as obsessed with identity as the United States is, transforming into stereotypes allows the marginalized to not only become visible but also acquire agency.
—Nicolás Medina Mora, The Atlantic, 6 Aug. 2024
Abu Hamdan challenges a maxim forced onto the marginalized: that their voices are a source of power.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 2 Aug. 2024
The fitness industry in the U.S. is built on a history of white supremacy, and marginalized people often encounter hostility while trying to engage with it.
—James Factora, Them, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for marginalize 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marginalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near marginalize
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“Marginalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalize. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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marginalize
verb
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