margin

American  

[mahr-jin] / ˈmɑr dʒɪn /

noun

margins plural

1. the space around the printed or written matter on a page.

2. an amount allowed or available beyond what is actually necessary.

   to allow a margin for error.

3. a limit in condition, capacity, etc., beyond or below which something ceases to exist, be desirable, or be possible.

   the margin of endurance; the margin of sanity.

   Synonyms:

   bound, confine

4. a border or edge.

   Synonyms:

   brink, verge, rim

   Antonyms:

   center

5. Philately. selvage.

6. Finance.

   1. security, as a percentage in money, deposited with a broker by a client as a provision against loss on transactions.

   2. the amount representing the customer's investment or equity in such an account.

7. the difference between the amount of a loan and the market value of the collateral pledged as security for it.

8. Commerce. the difference between the cost and the selling price.

9. an amount or degree of difference.

   The measure passed by a margin of just three votes.

10. Economics. the point at which the return from economic activity barely covers the cost of production, and below which production is unprofitable.

11. Entomology. the border of an insect's wing.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to provide with a margin or border.

2. to furnish with marginal notes, as a document.

3. to enter in the margin, as of a book.

4. Finance. to deposit a margin upon.

5. Stock Exchange. to purchase (securities) on margin.

   That stock was heavily margined during the last month.

margin British  

/ ˈmɑːdʒɪn, ˈmɑːdʒənt /

noun

1. an edge or rim, and the area immediately adjacent to it; border

2. the blank space surrounding the text on a page

3. a vertical line on a page, esp one on the left-hand side, delineating this space

4. an additional amount or one beyond the minimum necessary

   a margin of error

5. a payment made in addition to a basic wage, esp for special skill or responsibility

6. a bound or limit

7. the amount by which one thing differs from another

   a large margin separated the parties

8. commerce the profit on a transaction

9. economics the minimum return below which an enterprise becomes unprofitable

10. finance

    1. collateral deposited by a client with a broker as security

    2. the excess of the value of a loan's collateral over the value of the loan

---

verb

1. to provide with a margin; border

2. finance to deposit a margin upon

Synonym Usage

See edge.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• margins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of margin

1300–50; Middle English < Latin margin- (stem of margō ) border; akin to march ²

Explanation

An amount beyond the minimum necessary is called the margin. If you sell craft items, you need to build in a profit margin so that you actually make money on the sale. You'll go broke if you sell mittens for $10 that cost you $15 to make. The blank space around the edges of a sheet of paper — as with the page of a book — that surrounds the text is called the margin. It serves a few purposes: (1) The paper can be bound into a book without covering up the words; (2) If you are a teacher, student, or editor, you can make comments or notes in the margin. (3) If you're bored in class, you can doodle there.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

margin margins

“It’s nerve-racking and worth watching,” he said, with margin debt likely targeting areas of the market with momentum.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

The Dodgers’ luxury-tax payroll of over $420 million is MLB’s highest by a wide margin, and they are taking full advantage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

The use of leverage, whether from margin debt, options trading or levered exchange-traded funds, all tends to be concentrated in the same stocks, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

At 2.6 points, his 2018 reelection margin marked Texas’ closest statewide race this millennium.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

I advanced through my bracket, eliminating some heavy hitters on the world circuit, including my teammate Dagmara, by a wide margin.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

And upstart brands looking to grow are settling for lower margins and cutting marketing budgets in hopes they can attract new shoppers with price tags that start with a nine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Higher-priced contracts flowing through could boost its margins, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

"Package holidays generate higher margins and more predictable revenues than airline tickets alone, and Apollo is likely to believe there's plenty more value to unlock by expanding the business," she added.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Neso's notice warns there could be "tight electricity margins" on Thursday evening, but does not suggest a risk of shortages or blackouts.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

The margins of the Greek world continued to remain dark, narrow, and filled with sea monsters, giant gold- digging ants, and men with faces in the middle of their chests.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

Related Words

• edge
• limit
• surplus