marginalise

marginalise — verb

1. to make a person or group feel that they have no power or value in society, by n

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make a person or group feel that they have no power or value in society, by not giving them chances to be heard or take part equally

Example

Christopher's working-class background was sometimes used to marginalise him at university.

passive: be used to marginalise [someone]

The government's housing policy has marginalised many low-income families in the city.

marginalise + noun phrase as direct object

Common collocations
  • marginalised groups
  • marginalised communities
  • marginalised people
  • feel marginalised
  • systematically marginalised
  • socially marginalised
  • economically marginalised
  • become marginalised
Synonyms
  • sideline

    less formal; suggests temporary exclusion from a particular activity rather than systemic social exclusion

  • exclude

    broader meaning; can refer to any act of keeping someone out, not necessarily social/political

  • alienate

    focuses on making someone feel isolated or estranged, often due to actions or attitudes

  • disenfranchise

    narrower; specifically means depriving someone of rights, especially voting rights

Antonyms
  • include

    to make someone part of a group or activity

  • empower

    to give someone the power or confidence to do something

  • integrate

    to bring people into full and equal participation in society

Grammar Patterns

marginalise + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in discussions of social inequality, discrimination, and systemic exclusion. Often occurs in the passive voice (be marginalised by…). The American English spelling is 'marginalize'.

Common Mistakes

The company marginalised the old equipment.
The company stopped using the old equipment.
'Marginalise' is used about people or social groups, not about objects or machines.

Word family

  • margin
    nounB1
  • marginal
    adjectiveB1
  • marginalised
    adjectiveB2
  • marginalisation
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe keeping someone out or making them feel less important, but they differ in scope and severity. 'Sideline' is the mildest and most informal — it suggests pushing someone away from a specific activity or decision without permanent social effects ('the manager was sidelined during contract talks'). 'Exclude' is the most general; you can be excluded from a team, a conversation, or a country for any reason. 'Alienate' focuses on the emotional result: making someone feel unwelcome through words or behaviour ('her comments alienated many colleagues'). 'Disenfranchise' is the most specific and formal, referring to the removal of legal rights, particularly voting. 'Marginalise' sits between these — it describes a gradual, often systemic process that pushes a group to the edges of society without necessarily excluding them entirely or removing their rights. A marginalised community may still legally belong but have little real influence or opportunity.

sidelineexcludealienatedisenfranchise

Common collocations

Nouns

  • groups
  • communities
  • people
  • minorities
  • women
  • voices

Adverbs

  • systematically
  • socially
  • economically
  • politically
  • increasingly

Phrases

  • push to the margins of society

Prepositions

  • by

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Derived from Latin 'margo' meaning 'edge' or 'border', through the adjective 'marginal' (written in the margin). The verb form first appeared in the 17th century meaning 'to write notes in the margin of a page'. The modern social meaning — to push a group to the edges of society — developed in the mid-20th century, influenced by sociological writing about social exclusion and inequality.