delineation.

The outlining or accurate description of a form, boundary or character.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• delineation of a boundary
• clear delineation

On the page

The map supplied a clear delineation of the boundary.

The essay’s delineation of the disagreement preceded its evaluation.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: explicit explanation, scope and categorization, proof and interpretation, philosophical foundations. Disciplines: academic writing, formal reasoning, philosophy. Commonness: moderately common.