marginal

Pluralmarginals

1. 1
   adjective

   Only just good enough to be accepted, and close to failing or being left out.

   Like a player who only just makes the team and could be cut at any time.

   His test score was marginal, just barely enough to pass.

   The bread was of marginal quality and almost too stale to sell.

   Similarborderline

   Note
2. 2
   adjective

   Placed at or near the edge of a thing, rather than in the middle.

   Like the outer ring of a target, far from the middle.

   Weeds grew in the marginal strip right at the edge of the field.

   She drew small pictures in the marginal space along the side of the page.

   Similarperipheral, outlying, minor, tangential

   Oppositecentral

   Note
3. 3
   adjective

   About the extra cost or gain from making or using just one more of something.

   Like asking how much heavier your bag gets when you add just one more book.

   The marginal cost of baking one more loaf is very small.

   Economists study the marginal benefit of buying one extra item.

   Similarincremental

   Note
4. 4
   adjective

   Kept at the edge of society and treated as less important than others.

   Like a kid who is always left out of the game.

   The program helps marginal groups find jobs and housing.

   Many marginal communities lack access to good schools.

   Similarmarginalized, excluded, disadvantaged, disenfranchised

   Oppositemainstream, privileged, dominant

   Note
5. 5
   adjective

   Only just able to produce enough to be worth the effort.

   Like a garden that gives you just one small basket of vegetables all summer.

   The farm sat on marginal soil that grew very little.

   Only marginal crops survive in that dry, rocky ground.

6. 6
   adjective

   Sharing a border with another place, and lying right next to it.

   Our county is marginal to the next state, so many people drive over the line to shop.

   The small country is marginal to two big ones, so it trades with both of them.

   Similaradjacent, bordering, neighboring, contiguous

   Note
7. 7
   adjective

   Written in the empty space at the edge of a page.

   Like little notes you write in the white space next to your homework.

   Her marginal notes filled the side of every page.

   He read the old marginal comments left by an earlier owner.

8. 8
   adjectiveAustraliaNew ZealandUK

   Likely to change which party wins, because it was won last time by only a few votes.

   Like a game that was won by just one point last time, so it could easily go the other way.

   The party focused its effort on a few marginal seats it might just win.

   Voters in marginal areas often see the most visits from politicians.

   Oppositesafe

   Note
9. 9
   nouncountable

   A voting area that was won last time by only a small number of votes.

   Like a contest that was a near-tie last time, so anyone could win it now.

   The party hoped to win a key marginal in the north.

   That seat is a marginal and could go either way.

   Note
10. 10
    nouncountable

    A person or thing that sits at the edge and is not seen as important.

    Like the last kid picked, standing off to the side.

    In the office, he always felt like a marginal.

    The new policy finally helped the marginals nobody used to notice.

    Similaroutsider, outcast, misfit

    Oppositeinsider

    Note

Showing meanings only. Show all 10