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
Confidence decays when the marginal unit of debt fails to buy a commensurate increase in productive capacity.
—
Dave Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
An additional $30,000 in deductions could amount to about $10,500 in annual tax savings for homeowners in these states and metros, assuming a 35 percent federal marginal tax rate, Realtor.com calculated.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
The bill preserves the current 37% top marginal individual income tax rate, set by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Republicans passed in 2017, which would otherwise expire ‒ and go up ‒ at the end of the year.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Properties such as a marginal coma and short tail indicate signs of cometary activity, according to the Minor Planet Center.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for marginal
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Dave Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
An additional $30,000 in deductions could amount to about $10,500 in annual tax savings for homeowners in these states and metros, assuming a 35 percent federal marginal tax rate, Realtor.com calculated.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
The bill preserves the current 37% top marginal individual income tax rate, set by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Republicans passed in 2017, which would otherwise expire ‒ and go up ‒ at the end of the year.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Properties such as a marginal coma and short tail indicate signs of cometary activity, according to the Minor Planet Center.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for marginal
Cite this Entry
“Marginal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginal. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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