delineation

American  

[dih-lin-ee-ey-shuhn] / dɪˌlɪn iˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of delineating.

2. a chart or diagram; sketch; rough draft.

3. a description.

---

Other Word Forms

• delineative adjective
• nondelineation noun
• nondelineative adjective
• predelineation noun
• undelineative adjective

Etymology

Origin of delineation

1560–70; < Late Latin dēlīneātiōn- (stem of dēlīneātiō ) a sketch, equivalent to Latin dēlīneāt ( us ) ( see delineate) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Delineation is the act of representing something or describing it. The portrait you paint of your best friend is a delineation of that person. A delineation can refer to any kind of pictorial representation of something else, like a geometric sketch or a map of a city. A delineation more generally means any kind of accurate or vivid portrayal of something else. So, a lively summary of a book that makes the listener feel she read it herself can be a delineation. Telling someone else what you dreamed about last night is a delineation of that dream.

Example Sentences

One charm of this gorgeously illustrated book is the absence of a clear delineation between what happened and what Mr. Derman allows himself to imagine happened.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

What has changed is the delineation between public and private, who can broadcast their innermost lives to the world, and whose innermost lives garner the world’s interest.

From Slate • Sep. 10, 2025

"Today, precise state-led strikes, backed by central paramilitary forces, have changed the game. While paramilitary held the ground, state forces gathered intelligence and launched targeted operations. It was clear role delineation and coordination," he said.

From BBC • May 27, 2025

This is presented with little insight into the forces that made that happen or why there was a delineation between print and runway in the first place.

From Salon • Sep. 20, 2023

This is a gentle delineation, is it not, reader?

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë