marginal

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

Synonyms

• borderline
• frontier

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

Through careful site selection, canopy management, and refined winemaking techniques, growers have learned how to coax more complexity and ripeness from this variety, even in England’s marginal climate. —Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

The over-all impression is of a band simultaneously subcultural, taken up in marginal scenes, and supercultural, soundtracking life on both sides of the Iron Curtain. —Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 18 June 2025

Tecmo Bowl Photo: Courtesy of Nintendo Before Madden, and EA, and a never-ending pipeline of football simulators with marginal iterations around the edges, there was only Tecmo Bowl. —Luke Winkie, Vulture, 18 June 2025

Only to now look at the new sales comp, and realize that the marginal buyer is now paying 28 percent less than three years ago. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin marginalis, from Latin margin-, margo

First Known Use

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