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
Examples of marginal in a Sentence
There has been only a marginal improvement in her condition.
His reading and writing abilities are marginal.
Recent Examples on the Web
And despite pressure from Washington, Israel appears to be doubling down on its current short-term approach, planning a major operation in the city of Rafah that would offer only marginal military gains but would exacerbate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and further diminish Israel’s reputation.
—
Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2024
Today, Delorean prices vary widely, with marginal value gains.
—Hannah Elliott, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
The game has added importance for the black and yellow club given its marginal one point lead over RB Leipzig in the race for 4th place, and the final UEFA EFA -0.2% Champions League qualifying spot.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
His mom showed only marginal relief at switching languages.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Many of Aera’s wells, like other California oil companies, are only producing marginal amounts of oil.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Even small, marginal gains can have a big impact at scale.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
And when President Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, a married couple was still paying a top marginal tax rate of 70 percent on every dollar earned over $215,400 — the equivalent of $730,000 today.
—Julie Zauzmer Weil, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The juxtaposition of an aggressive military move by Israel on a hospital and the lack of a more substantial effort to ease the movement of food trucks into northern Gaza suggests that Israeli leaders are more focused on marginal military gains than on easing starvation among civilians.
—Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2024
Today, Delorean prices vary widely, with marginal value gains.
—Hannah Elliott, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
The game has added importance for the black and yellow club given its marginal one point lead over RB Leipzig in the race for 4th place, and the final UEFA EFA -0.2% Champions League qualifying spot.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
His mom showed only marginal relief at switching languages.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Many of Aera’s wells, like other California oil companies, are only producing marginal amounts of oil.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Even small, marginal gains can have a big impact at scale.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
And when President Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, a married couple was still paying a top marginal tax rate of 70 percent on every dollar earned over $215,400 — the equivalent of $730,000 today.
—Julie Zauzmer Weil, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The juxtaposition of an aggressive military move by Israel on a hospital and the lack of a more substantial effort to ease the movement of food trucks into northern Gaza suggests that Israeli leaders are more focused on marginal military gains than on easing starvation among civilians.
—Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marginal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Medieval Latin marginalis, from Latin margin-, margo
First Known Use
1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing marginal
Articles Related to marginal
Dictionary Entries Near marginal
Cite this Entry
“Marginal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginal. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
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
More from Merriam-Webster on marginal
Nglish: Translation of marginal for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of marginal for Arabic Speakers
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