marginal

adjective

mar·​gin·​al ˈmärj-nəl How to pronounce marginal (audio)
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 noun
marginally
ˈmärj-nə-lē How to pronounce marginal (audio)
ˈmär-jə-nᵊl-ē
adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin marginalis, from Latin margin-, margo

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of marginal was in 1573

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Marginal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginal. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

marginal

adjective
mar·​gin·​al ˈmärj-nəl How to pronounce marginal (audio)
-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 How to pronounce marginal (audio)
-ən-ᵊl-ē
adverb

Medical Definition

marginal

adjective
mar·​gin·​al ˈmärj-nəl, -ən-ᵊl How to pronounce marginal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or situated at a margin or border
2
: located at the fringe of consciousness
marginal sensations

More from Merriam-Webster on marginal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!