demarcate

/ˈdiːmɑːˌkeɪt/

//ˈdiːmɑːˌkeɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"demarcate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“demarcate” is uncommon English (frequency #90,347 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,347
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To mark the limits or boundaries of something; to delimit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-demarcate · demarcate · English

demarcate · rank #90,347 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,347
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH degradable

Nearest frequency peer: degradable (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “demarcate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “demarcate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for demarcate
PropertyValue
Headworddemarcate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdiːmɑːˌkeɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#90,347
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “demarcate” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).demarcatefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “degradable” (#90,345), “demonetization” (#90,349), “Degen” (#90,344). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “demarcate” is #90,347. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

demarcate is uncommon English at frequency #90,347 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈdiːmɑːˌkeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

demarcate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from demarcation. The correct English form is demarcate, spelled D-E-M-A-R-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To mark the limits or boundaries of something; to delimit.
  2. 2
    To mark the difference between two causes of action; to distinguish.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how demarcate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Small Committees of officials are frequently appointed in advance to consider the geographical, topographical, and ethnological evidence that is forthcoming, and to construct a tentative line for their respective Governments; this, after much debate, is embodied in a treaty, which provides for the appointment of Commissioners to demarcate the line upon th…

Etymology

Back-formation from demarcation.

Synonyms

demarkdelimitdelineate

This word in other languages

délimiter(Français)abgrenzen(Deutsch)demarcar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "demarcate"?
"demarcate" is spelled D-E-M-A-R-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdiːmɑːˌkeɪt/.
What does "demarcate" mean?
As a verb, "demarcate" means: To mark the limits or boundaries of something; to delimit.
How do you pronounce "demarcate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "demarcate" is /ˈdiːmɑːˌkeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "demarcate"?
Back-formation from demarcation. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "demarcate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

desiccant#90,359downrange#90,380drainpipe#90,385chorister#90,288

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list