noun
pale
A boundary marking an accepted area or limit.
Our team considers threats and personal insults beyond the pale.
Etymology
A line of stakes makes a fence, and the fence marks an enclosed area. Pale then came to mean the boundary itself, including figurative limits of acceptable conduct.
More examples
- Sharing someone's private messages without permission is beyond the pale.
- Even during a heated debate, racist remarks are beyond the pale.
- For this strict club, wearing jeans to dinner is beyond the pale.
Forms
pale · pales
Similar words
- boundary
- Marks a dividing line, without necessarily implying accepted conduct.
- limit
- Names an endpoint or maximum, not necessarily acceptable behavior.