marginalisation

marginalisation — noun

1. the process of pushing a person or group to the edge of society, where they have

1.nounB2
Definition

the process of pushing a person or group to the edge of society, where they have fewer opportunities and less power than others

Example

The marginalisation of women in politics was the focus of Saira's presentation.

Apinya volunteers at a centre that fights the marginalisation of homeless people.

fights the marginalisation of — common verb + object pattern

Common collocations
  • marginalisation of + group
  • economic marginalisation
  • social marginalisation
  • political marginalisation
  • fight marginalisation
  • face marginalisation
  • experience marginalisation
  • lead to marginalisation
  • result in marginalisation
Synonyms
  • exclusion

    broader term; can refer to being left out of any activity or group

  • ostracism

    stronger and more deliberate; involves active rejection by a community

  • sidelining

    less formal; focuses on being pushed away from an active role

  • alienation

    focuses on the feeling of being isolated or disconnected

Antonyms
  • inclusion

    the process of making sure everyone is involved and valued

  • integration

    bringing different groups together into a united whole

Grammar Patterns

marginalisation + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common in academic and political writing about social inequality. Typically followed by 'of' to name the group being pushed aside.

Common Mistakes

The new law stops the marginalisation of women in the workplace.
The new law aims to reduce the marginalisation of women in the workplace.
marginalisation is a broad social process, not something that can be instantly 'stopped' by a single law.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone being pushed away or left out, but they differ in strength and focus. 'Exclusion' is the broadest term, covering any situation where someone is not allowed to join or take part. 'Ostracism' is much stronger — it implies that a group actively and deliberately shuts a person out as a form of punishment or rejection. 'Sidelining' is less formal and suggests someone is moved away from a position of influence while still being present. 'Alienation' focuses on the internal feeling of not belonging rather than the external act of being shut out. For example, a quiet student may feel alienation in a loud classroom without being actively excluded; but a community that refuses to speak to a neighbour is practising ostracism.

exclusion ↗ostracismsideliningalienation

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fight against marginalisation
  • result in marginalisation
  • lead to marginalisation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'margo' (edge) → 'marginalis' (on the edge) → French 'marginal' → English 'marginal'. The suffix '-ise' turns the adjective into a verb, and '-ation' turns the verb into a noun. The modern social meaning — pushing people to the edges of society — developed in the 20th century through sociology and political writing.