delineation

noun

di-ˌli-nē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce delineation (audio)
Definition of delineationnext
1
as in sketch
a picture using lines to represent the chief features of an object or scene his simple but striking delineations of Dutch landscapes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in description
a vivid representation in words of someone or something a finely wrought delineation of a young couple's first experience with love and loss

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of delineation Her health, her family, her privacy, and a delineation between her pop star ego— her alter ego, to name her past album—and her own self. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 June 2026 This delineation of territory has blurred as the number of commercial channels has exploded, and also because the BBC’s international-facing outlets have been allowed to carry advertising — one of many initiatives introduced to wean the BBC off the licence fee. — Matt Slater, New York Times, 12 June 2026 Originally intended as a Max original, the show shifted to HBO as part of a new content delineation plan. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 18 May 2026 What's needed is a clear delineation of roles between digital and human agents. — Sanjoy Sarkar, Forbes.com, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for delineation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delineation
  1. sketch
  2. description
  3. drawing
  4. portrait
  5. depiction
  6. portrayal
  7. illustration
  8. image
Noun
  • The team’s coach, Mike Ditka, who died last week, was immortalized in a series of Saturday Night Live sketches.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Canaletto expert Charles Beddington authenticated the drawing, which was likely a preparatory sketch for a painting last sold in 1995 for $354,000 (about $766,000 in today’s dollars).
    — News Desk, Artforum, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of sketch
Noun
  • There’s a lot of character packed into that description — a complicated combination of ego, insecurity, cynicism, and self-justification.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But that description barely scratches the surface, Chris Joyner reports.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of description
Noun
  • More than 265,000 other tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $10 to $50,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The exhibition culminates with the Future Indicative (1977), collaging Krasner’s figure drawings.
    — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of drawing
Noun
  • The work, known as the Tondo of the Two Brothers, dates back to the 2nd century and belongs to a group of paintings known as the Fayum portraits.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Filmmaker Ava DuVernay chose Milton Rogovin’s informal, untitled portrait of a beautiful young Buffalo woman from his East Side, 1961-63 collection.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of portrait
Noun
  • Chen initially resisted the rainbow-like chromatic aberration familiar from other screen depictions of superpowers.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The painting will be displayed alongside an ancient relief borrowed from the National Roman Museum, reportedly introduced to Rembrandt through a reproduction, that inspired his depiction of Bathsheba attended to by a footmaid.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of depiction
Noun
  • At 934 pages long, the book inspired the Hollywood film Pollock (2000), for which Marcia Gay Harden won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Krasner.
    — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The result is a look at the diversity of the country in contrast with official Soviet portrayals and productions from the same era.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of portrayal
Noun
  • Her work combines music, illustration, animation and fashion.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
  • But the Iran example – and particularly the ongoing episodic closures of the Strait of Hormuz – is one of the best illustrations today of how merely invoking credibility to act is not the same as having an overall endgame strategy.
    — Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustration
Noun
  • The image is then precision-fabricated into a 3D model that’s finished by hand — all for $2,200, about the national average of an actual wedding gown.
    — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This sort of puzzling connection between text and image is repeated throughout the exhibition.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of image

Browse Nearby Words

delineating
delineation
delineations
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Cite this Entry

“Delineation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delineation. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on delineation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about delineation

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