Standard Lemma guide

delimit

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈlɪmɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪmɪt

1

verb

Meaning 1

To mark or fix the limits of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

Qualifier: literal

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: (literal) demarcate; (figurative) limit, constrain
  • Data items in the computer file were delimited by commas.
  • The square brackets delimit the list, and individual elements are separated by commas.WB
  • The possibilities for new automotive features are vast but are practically delimited by costs of development and manufacturing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demarcate, limit, constrain

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

set, mark, or draw the boundaries of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demarcate, delimitate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: limit, circumscribe, confine

3

verb

Meaning 3

determine the essential quality of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: specify, define, delineate, delimitate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: be

Narrower terms: determine, redefine

4

verb

Meaning 4

be opposite to; of angles and sides, in geometry

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: subtend

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: be

History

Etymology

From French délimiter, from Late Latin dēlīmitō (“to mark out the limits”), from dē- + līmitō (“to limit, to bound”); see limit.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: определям граница (opredeljam granica) — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Danish: afgrænse — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Finnish: rajata — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Galician: derregar — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Galician: estremar — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Galician: demarcar — to mark or fix the limits of
  • German: eingrenzen — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Greek: οριοθετώ (oriothetó) — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Greek: οροθετώ (orothetó) — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Irish: teorannaigh — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Italian: delimitare — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Italian: demarcare — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Italian: fissare — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Central Kurdish: سنور پێدان (snur pêdan) — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Portuguese: delimitar — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Russian: разграни́чивать (razgraníčivatʹ) — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Russian: размежёвывать (razmežóvyvatʹ) — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Spanish: delimitar — to mark or fix the limits of
  • Bulgarian: разделям (razdeljam) — to demarcate
  • Bulgarian: разграничавам (razgraničavam) — to demarcate
  • Finnish: rajata — to demarcate
  • French: délimiter — to demarcate
  • German: begrenzen — to demarcate
  • Portuguese: deliminar — to demarcate
  • Portuguese: demarcar — to demarcate
  • Romanian: delimita — to demarcate
  • Spanish: delimitar — to demarcate
  • Spanish: demarcar — to demarcate