marginal
adjective
mar·gin·al
| \ ˈmärj-nəl
, ˈmär-jə-nᵊl\
, ˈmär-jə-nᵊl\
Definition of marginal
1
: written or printed in the margin of a page or sheet
marginal notes
2a
: 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
4a
: 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
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Other Words from marginal
marginality
\ ˌmär-jə-ˈna-lə-tē
\
noun
\
noun
marginally
\ ˈmärj-nə-lē
, ˈmär-jə-nᵊl-ē \
adverb
, 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
Previously, individuals under its sway might have been conscious of their marginal price point in a pickup bar or on payday, or when comparing cars with their neighbor. — Richard Cooke, The New Republic, "The conservative commentariat’s love affair with nootropics," 3 Sep. 2019 The answers lie both in the peculiarities of Hawai‘i, and in the nature of marginal places generally. — Wade Graham, Smithsonian, "Why Molokai, With All Its Wonders, Is the Least Developed of Hawai’i’s Islands," 31 Aug. 2019 Identity theft This Attappadi rebellion is symptomatic of a larger conflict that has been playing out in India and other parts of the world: one between cultures and identities of marginal communities and those of, what are deemed, mainstream ones. — K A Shaji, Quartz India, "Tribals in India’s Kerala are protesting against a Hindu name given to a captured elephant," 30 Aug. 2019 The exception is President Richard Nixon, who swatted away two rather marginal challengers in the 1972 Republican primaries and was reelected in a landslide. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Trump seeks to avoid primary challenge and repeat of history," 26 Aug. 2019 Dallas-Fort Worth is at a marginal risk for severe weather, according to the Storm Prediction Center. — Sara Coello Jesus Jimenez, Dallas News, "Showers and storms possible as cold front moves through Dallas-Fort Worth," 13 Aug. 2019 The Storm Prediction Center has north Alabama in a marginal risk for severe storms today. — Leigh Morgan, al.com, "There’s a cold front coming! It’s a rare sight for July," 22 July 2019 One man in a million can sing like Pavarotti, and the audience with which he was first bonded is now marginal and despised within the larger culture, which values commodified music that speaks en masse to audiences measured in the billions. — Philip Kennicott, Twin Cities, "Even opera lovers should grit their teeth and watch this mediocre Pavarotti film," 14 June 2019 The federal rate in the U.S. currently tops out at 20%, well below the top marginal rate of 37% on wages and salaries. — Laura Davison, Fortune, "Capital Gains: The Tax Biden Wants to Double and Trump Would Slash," 29 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'marginal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for marginal
marginal
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of marginal
: not very important
: very slight or small
: not included in the main part of society or of a group
See the full definition for marginal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
marginal
adjective
mar·gin·al
| \ ˈmärj-nəl, -ən-ᵊl
\
\
Medical Definition of marginal
1
: of, relating to, or situated at a margin or border
2
: located at the fringe of consciousness
marginal sensations
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