Etymology Map
Back to all words

Delineate

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to describe precisely

Where does the word "delineate" come from? It comes from Latin delineare, adopted directly into English (1550s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
delineare
Latin · ancient
"to sketch out"
'de-' plus 'linea', line
2
Stage 2 of 2
delineate
English · 1550s
"to sketch"
'lineament' shares the root
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Delineate’s story begins in Latin: delineare meant “to sketch out.” 'de-' plus 'linea', line. It reached English by 1550s as delineate. 'lineament' shares the root. Today, delineate means to describe precisely.