Marginal

[mahr-juh-nl] /ˈmɑr dʒə nl/

adjective
1.
pertaining to a margin.
2.
situated on the border or edge.
3.
at the outer or lower limits; minimal for requirements; almost insufficient:
marginal subsistence; marginal ability.
4.
written or printed in the margin of a page:
a marginal note.
5.
Sociology. marked by contact with disparate cultures, and acquiring some but not all the traits or values common to any one of them.
6.
Economics.

/ˈmɑːdʒɪnəl/
adjective
1.
of, in, on, or constituting a margin
2.
close to a limit, esp a lower limit: marginal legal ability
3.
not considered central or important; insignificant, minor, small
4.
(economics) relating to goods or services produced and sold at the margin of profitability: marginal cost
5.
(politics, mainly Brit & NZ) of or designating a constituency in which elections tend to be won by small margins: a marginal seat
6.
designating agricultural land on the margin of cultivated zones
7.
(economics) relating to a small change in something, such as total cost, revenue, or consumer satisfaction
noun
8.
(politics, mainly Brit & NZ) a marginal constituency
adj.

1570s, “written on the margin,” from Medieval Latin marginalis, from Latin margo (see margin). Sense of “of little effect or importance” first recorded 1887. Related: Marginally.

marginal mar·gin·al (mär’jə-nəl)
adj.

mar’gin·al’i·ty (-jə-nāl’ĭ-tē) n.

jargon
1. Extremely small. “A marginal increase in core can decrease GC time drastically.” In everyday terms, this means that it is a lot easier to clean off your desk if you have a spare place to put some of the junk while you sort through it.
2. Of extremely small merit. “This proposed new feature seems rather marginal to me.”
3. Of extremely small probability of winning. “The power supply was rather marginal anyway; no wonder it fried.”
[Jargon File]
(1994-10-21)