Main Entry:

mar·gin·al

Pronunciation:

\ˈmärj-nəl, ˈmär-jə-n^əl\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Medieval Latin marginalis, from Latin margin-, margo

Date:

1573

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 cultures and by incomplete assimilation 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>

— mar·gin·al·i·ty \ˌmär-jə-ˈna-lə-tē\ noun

— mar·gin·al·ly \ˈmärj-nə-lē, ˈmär-jə-n^əl-ē\ adverb