Meaning & use
marginal
Last updated
Of minor importance or barely significant; relating to the margin or edge of something.
See it in a sentence
The new policy had only a marginal effect on overall sales.
He scribbled marginal notes in the textbook as he read.
A note on using this word
In economics, 'marginal' has a precise technical sense (the extra cost or benefit from one more unit), which is narrower and more specific than its everyday meaning of 'slight.'
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adjective
In economics, relating to the additional cost, benefit, or output from one more unit.
The factory kept producing until the marginal cost of another unit exceeded its price.
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