marginal

[ mahr-juh-nl ]

/ ˈmɑr dʒə nl /

adjective

pertaining to a margin.

situated on the border or edge.

at the outer or lower limits; minimal for requirements; almost insufficient: marginal subsistence; marginal ability.

written or printed in the margin of a page: a marginal note.

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

Economics.

selling goods at a price that just equals the additional cost of producing the last unit supplied.
of or relating to goods produced and marketed at margin: marginal profits.

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Origin of marginal

First recorded in 1570–80, marginal is from the Medieval Latin word marginālis of, pertaining to an edge. See margin, -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM marginal

mar·gin·al·i·ty, nounmar·gin·al·ly, adverbin·ter·mar·gi·nal, adjectivesu·per·mar·gin·al, adjective

su·per·mar·gin·al·ly, adverbtrans·mar·gi·nal, adjectivetrans·mar·gi·nal·ly, adverbun·mar·gin·al, adjectiveun·mar·gin·al·ly, adverb

Words nearby marginal

margin account, margin call, margin line, margin of safety, margin plank, marginal, marginal cost, marginal costing, marginal gyrus, marginal man, marginal probability

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for marginality

It means to be all the things that the individuals he turns into storytellers on Snap naturally are, in all their marginality.
NPR’s Smooth-Talking Millennial Whisperer|Batya Ungar-Sargon|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now it is marginal - and what admiration it attracts, it attracts precisely because of its marginality.
David's Book Club: Darkness At Noon|David Frum|August 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A couple of weeks ago, Occupy Wall Street seemed destined for marginality.
Unions Join Occupy Wall Street|Michelle Goldberg|October 4, 2011|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for marginality

marginal

/ (ˈmɑːdʒɪnəl) /

adjective

of, in, on, or constituting a margin

close to a limit, esp a lower limitmarginal legal ability

not considered central or important; insignificant, minor, small

economics relating to goods or services produced and sold at the margin of profitabilitymarginal cost

politics, mainly British and NZ of or designating a constituency in which elections tend to be won by small marginsa marginal seat

designating agricultural land on the margin of cultivated zones

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

noun

politics, mainly British and NZ a marginal constituency

Derived forms of marginal

marginality (ˌmɑːdʒɪˈnælɪtɪ), nounmarginally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for marginality

marginal

[ mär′jə-nəl ]

adj.

Of, relating to, located at, or constituting a margin, a border, or an edge.

Marginally within a lower standard or limit of quality.

Relating to or located at the fringe of consciousness.

Other words from marginal

mar′gin•al′i•ty (-jə-năl′ĭ-tē) n.