To marginalize someone means to push them to the edges of a group or situation, treating them as if they don't matter or don't fully belong. When students marginalize a classmate, they might exclude them from conversations, ignore their ideas during group projects, or act as though that person isn't really part of the class.

People can be marginalized in many ways. A student with a great idea might be marginalized in a group discussion if others talk over them or dismiss their suggestions without listening. In history, entire groups of people have been marginalized by laws or customs that denied them fair opportunities or treated them as less important than others.

Being marginalized feels isolating and unfair because it sends the message that your voice, your presence, or your contributions don't count. When someone is marginalized, they're still physically present but treated as though they're not really there, like being pushed to the margins of a page where nobody looks.