marginalization

Meaning

1. 1noununcountable

   The process by which a person or group is pushed to the edges of society and denied a real voice, influence, or fair access to resources.

   Grammar: Usually has no plural and no article: marginalization continues, not a marginalization.

   Patterns

   • marginalization of someone
   • the marginalization of something

   Researchers studied the marginalization of rural voters in national debates.

   Language barriers can lead to the marginalization of newly arrived families.

   Activists argue that cuts to local services deepen the marginalization of disabled residents.

Common combinations

social marginalization

Long-term unemployment often brings social marginalization.

economic marginalization

The report links economic marginalization to poor health.

political marginalization

Small parties complained of political marginalization under the new rules.

experience marginalization

Many migrants experience marginalization at work.

reduce marginalization

The program aims to reduce marginalization among young people.

Synonyms and how they differ

exclusion

Exclusion is broader and can be a single act, while marginalization suggests a gradual, ongoing push to the edges.

sidelining

Sidelining is more informal and often describes ignoring someone in a particular situation, not a whole social pattern.

disenfranchisement

Disenfranchisement focuses on losing rights, especially the vote, whereas marginalization can happen without any formal loss of rights.

Opposites

Word family

marginalize verb

to push someone to the edge of power or attention

marginalized adjective

treated as unimportant or kept out of the mainstream

marginal adjective

small, or at the edge

margin noun

an edge or border

Commonly confused: marginalization or marginality?

Practice

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