marginal

[ mahr-juh-nl ]

/ ˈmɑr dʒə nl /

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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.

of minor importance, significance, relevance, or effect: 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.

Sociology.

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.
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.

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.

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; from Medieval Latin marginālis “of or pertaining to an edge”; see margin, -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM marginal

mar·gin·al·i·ty

[mahr-juh-nal-i-tee], /ˌmɑr dʒəˈnæl ɪ ti/, nounmar·gin·al·ly, adverbin·ter·mar·gi·nal, adjectivesu·per·mar·gin·al, adjective

trans·mar·gi·nal, adjectiveun·mar·gin·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use marginal in a sentence

His strikeout rate was a hair below 12 per nine innings, a marginal drop from the previous two seasons.
Brad Hand thrived with lower velocity in 2020. With the Nats, he wants to bring back the heat.|Jesse Dougherty|January 26, 2021|Washington Post
The gains from smoothing out your pacing may be marginal, but at that level you have to look for every possible edge.
The Physiology of the Finishing Kick|Alex Hutchinson|January 26, 2021|Outside Online
For those who have a very short remaining life span anyway, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or irrelevant.
Sick patients over 80 could be a COVID vaccine risk, Norwegian health officials warn|Katherine Dunn|January 15, 2021|Fortune
Reich saw several marginal decisions backfire, and there’s nothing he could do about that.
What to know from NFL playoffs first round: Lamar Jackson wins and Tom Brady finds a way|Adam Kilgore|January 11, 2021|Washington Post

Art that is truly original—experimental, revolutionary, new—has always been a marginal affair.
Art has been brutalized by tech’s giants. How can it survive?|Konstantin Kakaes|December 23, 2020|MIT Technology Review
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 marginal

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 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.

marginal

Origin of marginal

OTHER WORDS FROM marginal

Words related to marginal

How to use marginal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marginal

Derived forms of marginal

Medical definitions for marginal

Other words from marginal