margin

[mahr-jin]

noun

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of margin¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of margin¹

C14: from Latin margō border; related to _march ², _mark ¹

Synonym Study

See edge.

Example Sentences

“Grok 5, I think, will be the smartest AI in the world by a significant margin in every metric — without exception,” the xAI founder said Friday in an appearance at Baron Capital’s annual investment conference.

Read more on MarketWatch

Albahary said that he isn’t seeing evidence of margin calls, when brokers demand more cash from investors who used borrowed money to buy assets, hitting the crypto or stock markets yet.

Read more on Barron's

Importers and wholesalers work with slim margins, meaning they face more pressure to pass tariff costs on to their customers, said Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The small operating profit guidance increase to between 17.0 billion and 17.5 billion euros, which is slightly better than consensus, is helpful at the margin, they say.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It was a very strong update and the upgraded margins guidance is higher than expected, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a note to clients.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• edge 
• limit 
• surplus