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.

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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

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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

The spread between crude-oil and diesel futures hit $101.86 on Monday, the first time the margin has hit triple digits, according to OPIS.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

In early results from the special election runoff to complete the congressional term of disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, state Sen. Aisha Wahab was in the lead late Tuesday by a narrow margin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

The margin for diesel earlier this week topped $100 for the first time ever.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Troy Deeney: They are the best team and they going to win the league by a comfortable margin.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

In the margin, Cecily had drawn a hilarious picture of a Roman senator named Cato the Younger who was famous for his filibustering.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

The price rollbacks could put pressure on margins, while Walmart is also spending money on automation, new warehouses, and tech upgrades.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

However, Statistics Canada noted International Energy Agency data showed that refined product markets remained tight, pushing petroleum refinery margins to four-year highs in early July.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The weak performance highlights the headwinds Xiaomi continues to face across its major businesses, with pricier memory chips still pressuring smartphone margins, and reduced consumer subsidies adding to already subdued demand in China’s consumer-electronics market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Returning to the pandemic example, corporate profit margins soared after COVID-19 went global.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

It swept the black-red from the margins of his eyes and turned the contemptuous crowd beneath him into a faceless blob.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Related Words

• edge
• limit
• surplus