delimit

Delimit is a verb meaning to determine or mark the boundaries or extent of something. It is often used when defining the edges of a geographic area, a data set, or a problem’s scope. The word originates from Latin delimitare, from de- “off, away” and limen “threshold,” and entered English in the early modern period. A related noun is delimitation, the act or process of drawing or enforcing boundaries.

In computing and data processing, to delimit means to separate data elements with a delimiter character or string. Delimiters commonly appear as punctuation such as a comma, semicolon, tab, or space, and they define fields within a record or tokens in a stream. Delimiters are central to formats like CSV and TSV; in programming languages, punctuation tokens often serve as delimiters for lexical analysis or string parsing.

In geography and international law, delimitation refers to the formal process of establishing exact boundary lines between jurisdictions, often through treaties, maps, or arbitration. Delimitation may precede or accompany demarcation, which is the physical marking of boundaries on the ground. The process can involve resolving disputes over natural features, maritime boundaries, or territorial extent.

In a general sense, delimitation can describe setting limits on scope, responsibilities, or resources, such as delimiting the duties of a committee, the reach of a project, or the range of data included in an analysis.