marginal
Americanadjective
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pertaining to a margin.
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situated on the border or edge.
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at the outer or lower limits; minimal for requirements; almost insufficient.
marginal subsistence;
marginal ability.
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written or printed in the margin of a page.
a marginal note.
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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.
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Sociology.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Economics.
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selling goods at a price that just equals the additional cost of producing the last unit supplied.
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of or relating to goods produced and marketed at margin.
marginal profits.
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adjective
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of, in, on, or constituting a margin
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close to a limit, esp a lower limit
marginal legal ability
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not considered central or important; insignificant, minor, small
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economics relating to goods or services produced and sold at the margin of profitability
marginal cost
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politics of or designating a constituency in which elections tend to be won by small margins
a marginal seat
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designating agricultural land on the margin of cultivated zones
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economics relating to a small change in something, such as total cost, revenue, or consumer satisfaction
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead, “It looks like the marginal unit of investment is being redirected to non-U.S. markets rather than the U.S., and those marginal flows are having a large impact given the relative size of markets.”
From MarketWatch
Wellington, Jakarta, Manila and Kuala Lumpur posted marginal losses, while Sydney, Mumbai and Bangkok were up and Singapore was little changed.
From Barron's
Decisions taking too long, celebrations being put on hold while deliberations take place, confusion as goals are given - or ruled out - for marginal reasons, denying referees the ability to use their own common sense.
From BBC
A marginal VAR offside decision caused a fair amount of controversy for Newcastle in midweek.
From BBC
Compared with their overall budgets, the amounts hospitals seek are "marginal", Sirven said.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
