marginal

1 of 2

adjective

mar·​gin·​al ˈmärj-nəl 

ˈmär-jə-nᵊl

1

: 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 divergent sense 1) cultures and by incomplete assimilation (see assimilate entry 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

marginal voters

3

: located at the fringe of consciousness

marginal sensations

4

a

: 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

a marginal probability function

marginality

ˌmär-jə-ˈna-lə-tē 

noun

marginally

ˈmärj-nə-lē 

ˈmär-jə-nᵊl-ē

adverb

marginality

2 of 2

noun

mar·​gin·​al·​i·​ty ˌmärjəˈnalətē 

plural -es

1

: the quality or state of being marginal

2

: the quality or state of 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

the marginality of the probability function

Synonyms of marginal

Adjective

• frontier

Examples of marginal in a Sentence

Adjective

There has been only a marginal improvement in her condition.

His reading and writing abilities are marginal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

By effectively raising the threshold in the playoffs, the NFL acknowledges that over-officiating diminishes the product and that marginal penalties should not decide its most important games. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026

When demand for software increases, additional copies are produced at almost no marginal cost. — Anthony Milewski, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Quan said this was another marginal change, noting that under Charter Amendment ER, approved by voters in 2024, the ethics commission can impose fines of up to $15,000. — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

And for those marginal savings, many studies have found the schedule can hurt student achievement. — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Medieval Latin marginalis, from Latin margin-, margo

First Known Use

Adjective

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing marginal

• marginal utility

Rhymes for marginal

• submarginal

Kids Definition

marginal

adjective

mar·​gin·​al ˈmärj-nəl 

-ən-ᵊl

1

: written or printed in the margin

marginal notes

2

: of, relating to, or situated at a margin or border

3

: close to the lower limit of quality

marginal ability

marginal land

marginally

-nə-lē 

-ən-ᵊl-ē

adverb

Medical Definition

marginal

adjective

mar·​gin·​al ˈmärj-nəl, -ən-ᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or situated at a margin or border

2

: located at the fringe of consciousness

marginal sensations