marginal

American  

[mahr-juh-nl] / ˈmɑr dʒə nl /

adjective

1. pertaining to a margin.

2. situated on the border or edge.

3. at the outer or lower limits; minimal for requirements; almost insufficient.

   marginal subsistence;

   marginal ability.

4. written or printed in the margin of a page.

   a marginal note.

5. of minor importance, significance, relevance, or effect: Grids using even larger voltages are now being constructed, but will probably make only a marginal improvement in costs.

   Ethics is not a marginal issue, as it is the basis for the movement and progress of society.

   Grids using even larger voltages are now being constructed, but will probably make only a marginal improvement in costs.

6. Sociology.

   1. marked by contact with disparate cultures, and acquiring some but not all the traits or values common to any one of them.

      The “marginal man” is one who is poised in psychological uncertainty between two or more worlds.

   2. isolated from and not fully accepted by the dominant society or culture, and as a consequence, frequently disadvantaged.

      An overarching desire exists to foster social inclusion of all marginal groups, including people with a mental illness.

7. existing outside of the mainstream; unconventional.

   We hope the site is a place to enliven our own sometimes-isolated work in these marginal art forms.

8. Economics.

   1. selling goods at a price that just equals the additional cost of producing the last unit supplied.

   2. of or relating to goods produced and marketed at margin.

      marginal profits.

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marginal British  

/ ˈmɑːdʒɪnəl, ˌmɑːdʒɪˈnælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of, in, on, or constituting a margin

2. close to a limit, esp a lower limit

   marginal legal ability

3. not considered central or important; insignificant, minor, small

4. economics relating to goods or services produced and sold at the margin of profitability

   marginal cost

5. politics of or designating a constituency in which elections tend to be won by small margins

   a marginal seat

6. designating agricultural land on the margin of cultivated zones

7. economics relating to a small change in something, such as total cost, revenue, or consumer satisfaction

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noun

1. politics a marginal constituency

Other Word Forms

• intermarginal
  adjective
• marginality
  noun
• marginally
  adverb
• supermarginal
  adjective
• transmarginal
  adjective
• unmarginal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of marginal

First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin marginālis “of or pertaining to an edge”; see margin, -al ¹

Explanation

Use the word marginal when something is minimal or barely enough. If you buy lemons and sugar, make lemonade and set up a stand on the street corner, but sell only a couple of glasses, your profits will be marginal. Some claim that greenhouse gases have a marginal effect on the environment while others think that they are changing the world drastically. Your parents hope to see more than a marginal improvement in your grades! These are the figurative uses for marginal, which comes from the Latin word margo "edge." Literally, the word is used with things on a border. When you scribble words in the blank edges of your textbook pages, those notes are marginal.

Example Sentences

“We’re getting into a much tougher stretch where the marginal reduction inflation that was coming from shelter is slowing,” Sharif says.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

Because people like to say things like, “If I became a right-wing influencer I’d get so rich,” and while there is some truth to that, there is this underbelly of people with really marginal influence.

From Slate • May 7, 2026

As equity typically earns about 9% a year, that asset tax would constitute a marginal tax rate on the very richest of just 11% of their average annual gain.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

But given how often marginal rates are misunderstood, perhaps that wouldn’t help.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

He salvages the inferior Soviet equipment, milled from marginal steel, clumsily soldered; it’s all so unsystematic.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Related Words

• insignificant
• minimal
• minor
• negligible