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”; margin, -al ¹

Example Sentences

In more recent decades, especially in 2001 and 2011, the census has tracked the modernising economy: commuting patterns, marginal versus main work, education attendance and increasingly detailed disability and fertility data.

From BBC

Beijing is effectively trying to lower the marginal cost of child rearing while nudging households toward more confident spending across a cluster of family-oriented categories.

From Barron's

No doubt the 22-year-old will be working on the marginal gains he has identified to help keep his nose in front of his rival.

From BBC

Index funds add marginal exposure to stocks as they make relative gains, a seeming refutation of the age-old maxim to buy low, sell high.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a result, the gains made by women and young people, who make up most of the workforce in this sector, remain marginal, according to the WTO.

From Barron's

Related Words

• insignificant
• minimal
• minor
• negligible