Dictionary.com

marginal

[ mahr-juh-nl ]
/ ˈmɑr dʒə nl /
See synonyms for: marginal / marginally on Thesaurus.com

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.
  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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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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to marginal

negligible, minor, minimal, insignificant, bordering, low, peripheral, small, on the edge, rimming, verging

Example sentences from the Web for marginal

British Dictionary definitions for marginal

marginal
/ (ˈmɑːdʒɪnəl) /

adjective

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 marginal

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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.