marginal
adjective
- written or printed in the margin of a page or sheet
- of or constituting a margin
- at, on, or close to the margin or border
- close to a margin or limit, esp. a lower limit: a marginal standard of living
- limited; minimal
- Econ.
- on the border between being profitable and nonprofitable: a marginal business, marginal land
- of or from goods produced and sold at margin: marginal costs, marginal profits
See marginal in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(märˈjə-nəl)
adjective- Of, relating to, located at, or constituting a margin, a border, or an edge: the marginal strip of beach; a marginal issue that had no bearing on the election results.
- Being adjacent geographically: states marginal to Canada.
- Written or printed in the margin of a book: marginal notes.
- Barely within a lower standard or limit of quality: marginal writing ability; eked out a marginal existence.
- Economics
a. Having to do with enterprises that produce goods or are capable of producing goods at a rate that barely covers production costs.
b. Relating to commodities thus manufactured and sold.
- Psychology Relating to or located at the fringe of consciousness.
noun One that is considered to be at a lower or outer limit, as of social acceptability: “is fascinated by marginals, by people who live on the edge of society” (Dan Yakir).
Related Forms:
- marˌgin·alˈi·ty (-jə-nălˈĭ-tē) noun
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