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View synonyms for

borderline

[ bawr-der-lahyn ]

adjective

  1. on or near a border or boundary.
  2. having an uncertain, indeterminate, or debatable status:

    He was a borderline case for admission to the program—please encourage him to apply again next year.

  3. not quite meeting accepted, expected, or average standards:

    Discover specific how-to strategies for turning a borderline student into a confident achiever.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  4. approaching bad taste or obscenity:

    He made several borderline remarks that offended them.



noun

  1. bor·der line.
    1. a border or boundary:

      The town of Tiverton, Rhode Island, rests on the once-disputed Massachusetts borderline.

    2. a notional dividing line:

      Often the borderline between safety and toxicity is very small, and every year thousands of fish die as a consequence of chemical overdosing.

borderline

/ ˈɔːəˌɪ /

noun

  1. a border; dividing line; line of demarcation
  2. an indeterminate position between two conditions or qualities

    the borderline between friendship and love

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. on the edge of one category and verging on another

    a borderline failure in the exam

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of borderline1

First recorded in 1865–70; border + line 1
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“Rock Candy,” it’s borderline, but at least I’m not making it about some 14-year-old.

From

So when a driver does a manoeuvre that looks borderline, teams have three options.

From

“I’m very disciplined with my lifestyle — borderline monk status at this point. Discipline and obedience is like the new rebellion to me.”

From

Ms Upton believes shops in Bridgnorth were suffering for a number of reasons, including parking fees, and she said: "A lot of them are on the borderline and have just decided enough's enough."

From

But some of the utterances of the men wind up fans and opposition, while the women were borderline delusional in Australia.

From

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