fringe

noun, often attributive

\ ˈfrinj

Definition of fringe

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an ornamental border consisting of short straight or twisted threads or strips hanging from cut or raveled edges or from a separate band a lampshade with a fringe

2a : something resembling a fringe : edge, periphery —often used in plural operated on the fringes of the lawworking for years on the fringes of the entertainment industry

b chiefly British : bang entry 4 wears her hair in a fringe

c : one of various light or dark bands produced by the interference or diffraction of light

d : an area bordering a putting green on a golf course with grass trimmed longer than on the green itself

3a : something that is marginal, additional, or secondary to some activity, process, or subject a fringe sport

b : a group with marginal or extremist views the politically conservative fringe

c : fringe benefit

fringe

verb

fringed; fringing\ ˈfrin-jiŋ

Definition of fringe (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to furnish or adorn with a fringe

2 : to serve as a fringe for : border

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Examples of fringe in a Sentence

Noun

a lampshade with a fringe a fringe of moss around the tree a party on the political fringe

Verb

A jungle fringed the shore. the orchestral pit fringed the edge of the stage

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The party had only a few dozen members and no officeholders—most Hong Kongers don’t support independence—but the Hong Kong government deemed the fringe group a threat. — Gerard Gayou, WSJ, "Xi’s Promise to Taiwan Sounds Like a Threat," 3 Jan. 2019 At the same time, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington sent out a toolkit informing restaurateurs of their legal rights to refuse service to white nationalists and other political fringe groups, The Washingtonian reported. — Robert Gearty, Fox News, "Uber, Lyft, DC restaurants to ban 'Unite the Right' rally participants; Twitter suspends numerous far-Right accounts," 11 Aug. 2018 Pointing to her recent primary victory, some supporters of Ms. Valdez dismissed the progressive criticism of the candidate as nitpicky and overblown, a petulant critique from fringe groups more interested in political points than winning elections. — New York Times, "In Texas Governor’s Race, Lupe Valdez Faces Resistance From Fellow Democrats," 18 June 2018 On the fringes of the Gulf Stream, off the east coast of Florida, the sea is very deep and very blue. — Helen Scales, Discover Magazine, "Hearing Nemo," 17 Aug. 2018 The Expanding Earth theory lingers today in the conspiratorial fringes of the internet. — Meg Neal, Popular Mechanics, "We’ve Been Wrong Before: The Expanding Earth Theory," 3 Aug. 2018 Reach for sequins and feathers and fringe; all that glitters is indeed gold in this case. — Divya Bala, Harper's BAZAAR, "5 Outfit Ideas to Slay Every Holiday Party," 30 Nov. 2018 Optional: Cut fringe into the ends with sharp scissors. — Stephanie Shore Fisher, Good Housekeeping, "How to Turn Dollar Store Candles Into the Most Charming Snowmen," 27 Nov. 2018 That’s often what happens in races where a candidate is written off as weak or fringe. — Dara Lind, Vox, "Trumpism doesn’t win majorities. And Trump doesn’t care.," 7 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Emma Stone wore a custom gold column gown with fringed skirt. — Chrissy Rutherford, Harper's BAZAAR, "See Riccardo Tisci’s First Red Carpet Moment for Burberry," 7 Jan. 2019 Not to mention, this music video marked the official debut of Mina’s fringed bangs. — Lai Frances, Allure, "A Comprehensive Guide to the Evolution of Twice's Hair and Makeup," 6 Nov. 2018 That is why the Eurasian steppe is fringed to the south with barriers designed to forestall horsemen. — Felipe Fernández-armesto, WSJ, "‘Walls: A History of Civilization in Blood and Brick’ Review: . . . and Stay Out!," 13 Sep. 2018 Model Dilone’s tight buzz transformed from onyx to bright platinum in a New York Minute, while sartorial stars Ami and Aya Suzuki reemerged in Milan with twin fringed bobs in the same hot pink hue that swept London’s catwalk scene. — Vogue, "The Best Street Style Beauty Looks From the Spring 2019 Shows," 4 Oct. 2018 Investigators had urged residents in a sizable swath of Perry Hall to stay hunkered down inside their homes and lock all doors and windows as officers search the community fringed with woodlands. — Benjamin Brown, Fox News, "Suspects in killing of Baltimore County police officer arrested, eyed in burglaries in area," 2 Oct. 2018 Wielgus grew up hunting rabbits and poking around the woods that fringed the suburbs of Winnipeg, Manitoba. — New York Times, "Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf Scientist?," 5 July 2018 The village’s corniche, dominated by von Habsburg’s monastery, is fringed with palm trees, and the ruins of a striking 1936 Art Moderne hotel by Nikola Dobrovi´c nestle among the medieval houses. — François Halard, Vogue, "How a Master Restorer Turned a Ruined Croatian Monastery Into a Personal Paradise," 16 Feb. 2018 Another standout moment includes the subject strutting down a quiet street in a hot pink fringed Emilio Pucci dress. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "@Checking_Invoices Is the Anonymous, Masked Instagram Account That Makes Fashion Fun Again," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fringe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for fringe

The first known use of fringe was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for fringe

fringe

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fringe

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a border made of hanging threads used to decorate the edge of something (such as clothing, rugs, and curtains)

: a narrow area along the edge of something

: an area of activity that is related to but not part of whatever is central or most widely accepted : a group of people with extreme views or unpopular opinions

fringe

verb

English Language Learners Definition of fringe (Entry 2 of 2)

: to decorate (something) with a fringe

: to go along or around (something)

See the full definition for fringe in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fringe

noun

\ ˈfrinj