margin

1 of 2

noun

mar·​gin ˈmär-jən How to pronounce margin (audio)
1
: the part of a page or sheet outside the main body of printed or written matter
2
: the outside limit and adjoining surface of something : edge
at the margin of the woods
continental margin
3
a
: a spare amount or measure or degree allowed or given for contingencies or special situations
left no margin for error
b(1)
: a bare minimum below which or an extreme limit beyond which something becomes impossible or is no longer desirable
on the margin of good taste
(2)
: the limit below which economic activity cannot be continued under normal conditions
c
: an area, state, or condition excluded from or existing outside the mainstream
the margins of critical discourseBarbara L. Packer
living in society's margins
4
a
: the difference which exists between net sales and the cost of merchandise sold and from which expenses are usually met or profit derived
b
: the excess market value of collateral over the face of a loan
c(1)
: cash or collateral that is deposited by a client with a commodity or securities broker to protect the broker from loss on a contract
(2)
: the client's equity in securities bought with the aid of credit obtained specifically (as from a broker) for that purpose
d
: a range about a specified figure within which a purchase is to be made
5
: measure or degree of difference
the bill passed by a one-vote margin
margined adjective

margin

2 of 2

verb

margined; margining; margins

transitive verb

1
a
: to provide with an edging or border
b
: to form a margin to : border
2
a
: to add margin to
margin up an account
b(1)
: to use as margin
margin bonds to buy stock
(2)
: to provide margin for
margin a transaction
c
: to buy (securities) on margin

Examples of margin in a Sentence

Noun Please write your name in the left margin of the page. a book with wide margins Mountains lie at the city's northern margins. Verb the riverbed is margined by a flat beach of smooth rocks
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Trump won the district in 2020 by a vote of 3-to-1, the largest margin of Ohio's 15 congressional districts. The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 Santa Clara County will automatically recount votes in races where the margin is less than 0.25 percent or less than 25 votes — but that only applies to races that fall completely in the county. Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Yet somehow, the largest margin of victory seen at the event since 2006 was arguably upstaged by the most unlikely of sources – the champion’s grandmother. Don Riddell, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 The margins of victory are expected to be small in those four states, where Mr. Trump hopes to offset his potential weaknesses with independent voters and suburban women. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The big-game margin always has been slim between the countries. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 The survey of 500 Italian adults had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. Colleen Barry, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 The decrease in operating income despite an increase in gross margin is primarily due to an increase in operating expenses. Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Garvey faces a seemingly insurmountable challenge in a state where no Republican has won a statewide race since 2006 and where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by a 2-1 margin. Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
Favorable product margin rates and lower supply chain costs were also margin drivers. Trefis Team, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 E-commerce is maybe tapped into as a bonus benefit in case someone lands on their site or is done through a partner with very little oversight or control, let alone margin. Brandon Amoroso, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022 Many investors turned to margin debt to double down on their trades during the rally that swept markets in 2020 and 2021. Gunjan Banerji, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022 Extreme drops in the crypto markets, like those that followed Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy or a major exchange like FTX collapsing, have led to margin calls on loans that can’t be paid. Quartz, 21 Nov. 2022 Crypto financial products range from stocks and mutual funds to margin loans and bank deposits. Jay Clayton, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 This isn’t the first time Son has linked IPO mandates to margin loans. Ruth David, Bloomberg.com, 16 Feb. 2022 Many of those retail investors who entered the market turned to margin trading to make risky moves in 2020. Joe Walsh, Forbes, 6 July 2021 Factors such as product mix and revenue management, as well as better demand planning helped, and the company will now double down on segments that are accretive to margin such as e-commerce and skincare. Kevin Rozario, Forbes, 10 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'margin.' 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

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin margin-, margo border — more at mark

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of margin was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near margin

Cite this Entry

“Margin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/margin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

margin

1 of 2 noun
mar·​gin ˈmär-jən How to pronounce margin (audio)
1
: the part of a page outside the main body of printed or written matter
2
: boundary area
3
: an extra amount (as of time) allowed for use if needed
margined adjective

margin

2 of 2 verb
1
: to provide with a margin
2
: to form a margin to : border

Medical Definition

margin

noun
mar·​gin ˈmär-jən How to pronounce margin (audio)
1
: the outside limit or edge of something (as a bodily part or a wound)
2
: the part of consciousness at a particular moment that is felt only vaguely and dimly

Legal Definition

margin

noun
mar·​gin ˈmär-jən How to pronounce margin (audio)
1
: the difference between net sales and the cost of the merchandise sold from which expenses are usually met or profits derived
2
: the amount by which the market value of collateral is greater than the face value of a loan
3
a
: cash or collateral deposited in a regulated amount by a client with a broker who is financing the purchase of securities see also regulation t
b
: a deposit made with a broker by a client who is trading in futures

More from Merriam-Webster on margin

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