redlining

American  

[red-lahy-ning] / ˈrɛdˌlaɪ nɪŋ /

Or red-lining

noun

1. a discriminatory practice by which banks, insurance companies, etc., refuse or limit loans, mortgages, insurance, etc., within specific geographic areas, especially inner-city neighborhoods.

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Etymology

Origin of redlining

redline + -ing ¹, as if banks, insurance companies, etc., had outlined such areas in red on a map

Example Sentences

“This connects communities that were previously divided by redlining, and helps to connect communities that were divided through those historic wrongs to job opportunities, to healthcare centers and support,” Horvath said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Bruins coach DeShaun Foster credited Gilmer’s early arrival for spring practice, a willingness to prove himself on special teams and a motor that requires continual monitoring by the coaching staff to prevent redlining.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2024

Insurance brokers who help affordable housing providers have been redoubling their efforts to overcome stereotypes, if not outright redlining discrimination, that historically tended to elevate rates in low-income neighborhoods.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2024

I was saddened to see that the Wing Luke Museum exhibit “Confronting Hate Together,” a collaboration between different communities targeted by redlining, has been closed because of a staff walkout.

From Seattle Times • May 28, 2024

He leaned forward to hunch over his desk, and ignoring Scott, he went back to redlining another writer's story.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn