Marginal
adjective
Just barely adequate or within limits.
She was able to get a marginal pass on her test
Often appears as...
- marginal importance
- marginal benefit
adjective
Related to an insignificant amount or importance.
The company saw a marginal increase in sales last quarter
Often appears as...
- marginal gain
- marginal impact
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
adjective
Located on a border or edge.
There are marginal communities located on the border of the city
Often appears as...
- marginal area
- marginal land
adjective
In economics, related to change in the total cost, output as caused by a small, one unit change in a particular variable, such factor of production.
The marginal cost of producing one more unit of a good can be calculated
Often appears as...
- marginal cost
- marginal revenue
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
adjective
Just barely adequate or within limits.
She was able to get a marginal pass on her test
Often appears as...
- marginal importance
- marginal benefit
adjective
Related to an insignificant amount or importance.
The company saw a marginal increase in sales last quarter
Often appears as...
- marginal gain
- marginal impact
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
adjective
Located on a border or edge.
There are marginal communities located on the border of the city
Often appears as...
- marginal area
- marginal land
adjective
In economics, related to change in the total cost, output as caused by a small, one unit change in a particular variable, such factor of production.
The marginal cost of producing one more unit of a good can be calculated
Often appears as...
- marginal cost
- marginal revenue
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/2Barely Sufficient
Used when something is just enough to meet the requirements or needs.
His effort on the project was marginal at best.
Pro Tip 2/2Negative Connotation
'Marginal' often suggests a lack of significance or effort.
Her contribution to the group work was marginal.
Pro Tip 1/2Barely Sufficient
Used when something is just enough to meet the requirements or needs.
His effort on the project was marginal at best.
Pro Tip 2/2Negative Connotation
'Marginal' often suggests a lack of significance or effort.
Her contribution to the group work was marginal.
Pro Tip 1/2Barely Sufficient
Used when something is just enough to meet the requirements or needs.
His effort on the project was marginal at best.
Pro Tip 2/2Negative Connotation
'Marginal' often suggests a lack of significance or effort.
Her contribution to the group work was marginal.
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Video examples
The paradox of value -...
That's when you begin to choose diamonds over water. And it's not just necessities like water. When it comes to most things, the more of it you acquire, the less useful or enjoyable every additional bit becomes. This is the law of diminishing marginal utility. You might gladly buy two or three helpings of your favorite food,
Video examples
Inside the bizarre world...
This stuff that once seemed so shocking and marginal and, frankly, just ignorable, it's now so normalized that we hardly even notice it. So I spent about three years in this world. I talked to a lot of people. Some of them seemed to have no core beliefs at all. They just seemed to be betting, perfectly rationally,
Video examples
The mathematics of love...
so that's fine, you can reject them. But then imagine the next person to come along is just marginally less boring, dull and terrible than everybody that you've seen before. Now, if you are following the maths, I'm afraid you have to marry them
Video examples
A tale of mental illness...
made a marginal note. He said, "Did you quit or were you fired?" "'I give life and I take it away. Forgive me, for I know not what I do.' Eventually, I broke down in front of friends, and everybody convinced me to take more medication.
Video examples
Clever Queen Bumble Bees...
the thick furry hairs on her body help to conserve what he chooses to generate at the moment she's only a few degrees warmer than the surrounding vegetation at the thermal camera clearly shows her body is only marginally more pink and
Video examples
Top 5 Most Intelligent...
furry hairs on her body help to conserve what he chooses to generate at the moment she's only a few degrees warmer than the surrounding vegetation as the thermal camera clearly shows her body is only marginally more pink and the blue
Video examples
Advice from the world’s...
marginal areas were areas where you've never looked the dusty corners of the world that is where you should be looking if you want creative satisfaction and a groovy job I should
Video examples
Interview: George &...
get into my archaeology and I said no it could teach us a little bit about living enough in an environment that may be slightly marginal it could teach us a
Video examples
World's Cutest Baby...
most dominant wonder there's not much any size wise but just being this close you can tell that one is marginally smaller but considered a more dominant
Video examples
Babysitting Cute Wolf...
most dominant wonder there's not much any size wise but just being this close you can tell the one is marginally smaller but considerably more dominant
Video examples
The paradox of value -...
That's when you begin to choose diamonds over water. And it's not just necessities like water. When it comes to most things, the more of it you acquire, the less useful or enjoyable every additional bit becomes. This is the law of diminishing marginal utility. You might gladly buy two or three helpings of your favorite food,
Video examples
Inside the bizarre world...
This stuff that once seemed so shocking and marginal and, frankly, just ignorable, it's now so normalized that we hardly even notice it. So I spent about three years in this world. I talked to a lot of people. Some of them seemed to have no core beliefs at all. They just seemed to be betting, perfectly rationally,
Video examples
The mathematics of love...
so that's fine, you can reject them. But then imagine the next person to come along is just marginally less boring, dull and terrible than everybody that you've seen before. Now, if you are following the maths, I'm afraid you have to marry them
Video examples
A tale of mental illness...
made a marginal note. He said, "Did you quit or were you fired?" "'I give life and I take it away. Forgive me, for I know not what I do.' Eventually, I broke down in front of friends, and everybody convinced me to take more medication.
Video examples
Clever Queen Bumble Bees...
the thick furry hairs on her body help to conserve what he chooses to generate at the moment she's only a few degrees warmer than the surrounding vegetation at the thermal camera clearly shows her body is only marginally more pink and
Video examples
Top 5 Most Intelligent...
furry hairs on her body help to conserve what he chooses to generate at the moment she's only a few degrees warmer than the surrounding vegetation as the thermal camera clearly shows her body is only marginally more pink and the blue
Video examples
Advice from the world’s...
marginal areas were areas where you've never looked the dusty corners of the world that is where you should be looking if you want creative satisfaction and a groovy job I should
Video examples
Interview: George &...
get into my archaeology and I said no it could teach us a little bit about living enough in an environment that may be slightly marginal it could teach us a
Video examples
World's Cutest Baby...
most dominant wonder there's not much any size wise but just being this close you can tell that one is marginally smaller but considered a more dominant
Video examples
Babysitting Cute Wolf...
most dominant wonder there's not much any size wise but just being this close you can tell the one is marginally smaller but considerably more dominant
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Mario Vargas Llosa
Peruvian Writer
I remember, when I was young, to have a literary or artistic vocation was really dramatic because you were so isolated from the common world. You felt that you were marginal, and if you dared to try to organise your life around your vocation, you knew you'd be completely segregated.
Quote examples
Pankaj Mishra
Indian Novelist
As a writer, I tend to be drawn to marginal people - writers, poet-prophets, seers, eccentrics - who embody the deeper ambivalences of their societies and bear deeper witness to their world than the famous figures we are used to celebrating, or demonizing, in our histories.
Quote examples
Richard Lamm
American Politician
Medical need is an infinitely expandable concept. There is always one more marginal procedure that can be done. There is no end to the medical and surgical treatments that a technologically sophisticated and advanced society can give to aging bodies.
Quote examples
Pete Buttigieg
American Politician
We need to consider a financial transactions tax. And we need to ask whether the top marginal tax rates are really appropriate, given that the effective tax rates paid by the wealthy are often actually lower than those paid by the rest of us.
Quote examples
Ezra Pound
American Poet
If the individual, or heretic, gets hold of some essential truth, or sees some error in the system being practiced, he commits so many marginal errors himself that he is worn out before he can establish his point.
Quote examples
James B. Stewart
American Journalist
The appreciation of capital assets is already taxed at an extremely favorable rate compared to labor. That's why the rich pay such a low effective tax rate no matter what their marginal tax bracket.
Quote examples
G. Willow Wilson
American Writer
Leaving your country at a tender age really rearranges the way you perceive the world. So I feel marginally attached to many places rather than deeply attached to any one place.
Quote examples
Phil Hellmuth
American Celebrity
Look, I never enjoy risking my tournament life with a marginal hand, but if you want to be a poker champion, that's exactly what needs to be done. Just don't do it too often!
Quote examples
Lawrence Kudlow
American Journalist
Reduced marginal tax rates on individuals and business fosters growth every time.
Quote examples
Ben Domenech
American Writer
I've rooted all my life for a marginal team.
Quote examples
Mario Vargas Llosa
Peruvian Writer
I remember, when I was young, to have a literary or artistic vocation was really dramatic because you were so isolated from the common world. You felt that you were marginal, and if you dared to try to organise your life around your vocation, you knew you'd be completely segregated.
Quote examples
Pankaj Mishra
Indian Novelist
As a writer, I tend to be drawn to marginal people - writers, poet-prophets, seers, eccentrics - who embody the deeper ambivalences of their societies and bear deeper witness to their world than the famous figures we are used to celebrating, or demonizing, in our histories.
Quote examples
Richard Lamm
American Politician
Medical need is an infinitely expandable concept. There is always one more marginal procedure that can be done. There is no end to the medical and surgical treatments that a technologically sophisticated and advanced society can give to aging bodies.
Quote examples
Pete Buttigieg
American Politician
We need to consider a financial transactions tax. And we need to ask whether the top marginal tax rates are really appropriate, given that the effective tax rates paid by the wealthy are often actually lower than those paid by the rest of us.
Quote examples
Ezra Pound
American Poet
If the individual, or heretic, gets hold of some essential truth, or sees some error in the system being practiced, he commits so many marginal errors himself that he is worn out before he can establish his point.
Quote examples
James B. Stewart
American Journalist
The appreciation of capital assets is already taxed at an extremely favorable rate compared to labor. That's why the rich pay such a low effective tax rate no matter what their marginal tax bracket.
Quote examples
G. Willow Wilson
American Writer
Leaving your country at a tender age really rearranges the way you perceive the world. So I feel marginally attached to many places rather than deeply attached to any one place.
Quote examples
Phil Hellmuth
American Celebrity
Look, I never enjoy risking my tournament life with a marginal hand, but if you want to be a poker champion, that's exactly what needs to be done. Just don't do it too often!
Quote examples
Lawrence Kudlow
American Journalist
Reduced marginal tax rates on individuals and business fosters growth every time.
Quote examples
Ben Domenech
American Writer
I've rooted all my life for a marginal team.
Example 1 of 10
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