What does marginal mean?
Marginal means small, slight, close to a threshold, or located at the edge of something. It is often used for differences, effects, advantages, and disadvantages that exist but are not substantial: a marginal increase in sales, for example, is a small increase. A marginal case is one that lies close to the boundary between two categories or between acceptable and unacceptable. In technical and economic writing, marginal has a more specific meaning. Marginal cost, marginal benefit, and marginal revenue concern the cost, benefit, or revenue associated with one additional unit or a small change in a variable. Outside these specialized contexts, the word commonly conveys that something is secondary, peripheral, or of limited importance. Its Latin origin, from margo, “edge,” reinforces both its sense of being near a boundary and its association with things that occupy the margins rather than the center.
adjectiveVery small in degree, amount, or importance, especially when close to a threshold. In economics, it refers to an additional unit or change in a variable.
- Very small, slight, or insufficient to be important: a marginal difference.
- Close to a boundary or threshold, especially barely meeting a required standard: a marginal case.
- Situated near the edge of a place or group: marginal areas of the map.
- Relating to an additional unit or change: marginal cost and marginal revenue.
- Not central or mainstream: marginal members of the community.
"The proposal had only a marginal effect on the overall cost of the project."
"The two versions of the design have only marginal differences in appearance."
"In economics, marginal cost is the cost of producing one additional unit."
From the Latin for “edge,” marginal literally means “at the boundary,” which explains its modern sense of sitting close to a limit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does marginal come from?
The adjective derives from the Latin marginalis, meaning “pertaining to an edge or boundary,” from margo, “edge, border, or margin.” English borrowed the word in the early 17th century, initially in the sense of situated at the edge. Its modern sense of “slight” developed through the idea of something that lies close to a defining boundary or limit. Related English words include margin, marginalia, and marginalize, all of which continue the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How marginal is actually used
The word is common in formal and professional English. In everyday speech, it often suggests that a difference, advantage, or effect is too slight to be important. In economic contexts, it is a technical term and should not be interpreted as insignificant.
Easily confused with marginal
A margin is a boundary, allowance, or difference, whereas a marginal quality is slight, peripheral, or close to the threshold between acceptable and unacceptable.