: written or printed in the margin of a page or sheet
marginal notes
2
a
: of, relating to, or situated at a margin or border
b
: not of central importance
regards violence as a marginal rather than a central problem
also: limited in extent, significance, or stature
had only marginal success with the business
c(1)
: occupying the borderland of a relatively stable territorial or cultural area
marginal tribes
(2)
: characterized by the incorporation of habits and values from two divergent (see divergentsense 1) cultures and by incomplete assimilation (see assimilateentry 1 sense 2a) in either
the marginal cultural habits of new immigrant groups
(3)
: excluded from or existing outside the mainstream of society, a group, or a school of thought
: close to the lower limit of qualification, acceptability, or function : barely exceeding the minimum requirements
a semiliterate person of marginal ability
b(1)
: having a character or capacity fitted to yield a supply of goods which when marketed at existing price levels will barely cover the cost of production
marginal land
(2)
: of, relating to, or derived from goods produced and marketed with such result
marginal profits
5
: relating to or being a function of a random variable that is obtained from a function of several random variables by integrating or summing over all possible values of the other variables
There has been only a marginal improvement in her condition. His reading and writing abilities are marginal.
Recent Examples on the WebBut for the Heat, such marginal additions are not even a talking point at the moment, with the team hard up against the luxury tax. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Sep. 2022 Such a cap would prevent low-cost generators from reaping the price at which the marginal producer of electricity (often natural gas) bids. Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 The shift—indicated when three infielders are on the same side of second base, which would be banned next season—will have a marginal impact on the Astros' defensive alignment. James Yasko, Chron, 13 Sep. 2022 Mobile games represent a relatively marginal component of Netflix’s business model. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 12 Sep. 2022 That means the marginal difference in a household or business’s electric bill when lighting is conserved is much more noticeable. Tim Mcdonnell, Quartz, 9 Sep. 2022 Europe's ‘marginal pricing system’ for energy is now under severe duress. Jorge González-gallarza, National Review, 8 Sep. 2022 This is a gray, marginal world in which life is punctuated by bursting shells and the ebb and flow of soldiers from either side. Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 7 Sep. 2022 For almost three years, student loans were finally seen as too massive for borrowers to repay, yet marginal enough for the federal government to ignore. Julian Epp, The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Medieval Latin marginalis, from Latin margin-, margo