Delimitating

Delimitating, also spelled delimiting, is the act of marking or establishing the limits of a geographic area, jurisdiction, dataset, or conceptual scope. It is often used in political geography and law to designate boundaries between states, provinces, districts, or electoral constituencies.

Etymology: from Latin delimitationem via French delimitation, with verb form from delimitare meaning to set the bounds. The present participle delimiting describes the ongoing process.

In international and domestic contexts, delimitation involves negotiation, surveys, and the creation of legal frameworks such as treaties, commissions, and maps. In cartography and land administration, delimitation is followed by demarcation, which is the physical marking or fencing of the boundary on the ground.

In data processing, delimiting refers to designating the boundaries of data fields or tokens, such as using delimiters (commas, tabs) to separate values in a file, or to segment text into units in tokenization.

Delimitation can be contentious, especially regarding electoral redistricting and border disputes, where the method of delimitation affects representation, access, or sovereignty. Outcomes are typically subject to judicial review and international law.

Related topics include delimitation commissions, redistricting, and boundary demarcation.