# demarcation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌdɛm.ɑːˈkeɪ.ʃən/ · frequency rank #37,412

## Definitions
1. The act of marking off a boundary or setting a limit, notably by belligerents signing a treaty or ceasefire.
2. A limit thus fixed, in full demarcation line.
3. Any strictly defined separation.

## Etymology
First recorded c.1752, from Spanish línea de demarcación and/or Portuguese linha de demarcação, the demarcation line laid down by the Pope on May 4, 1493, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal on a line 100 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. Both derive from demarcar, from de- + marcar (“to mark”), from Italian marcare, from the same Germanic root as march.

## Common misspellings (17)
`ddemarcation`, `deamrcation`, `demacration`, `demaraction`, `demarcaiton`, `demarcasion`, `demarcatino`, `demarcationn`, `demarcatoin`, `demarcattion`, `demarccation`, `demarctaion`, `demarrcation`, `demmarcation`, `demracation`, `dmearcation`, `edmarcation`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/demarcation