C1adjectivebusinessmoney
US/ˈmɑːr.dʒɪ.nəl/
UK/ˈmɑː.dʒɪ.nəl/
small in amount or effect, and not very important
In context
The new rules made only a marginal difference to prices.
Sales rose by a marginal 0.5 percent in the third quarter.
Small farmers on marginal land are hit hardest by drought.
Words that go with marginal
adjective + noun
- marginal increasea very small riseSales showed only a marginal increase compared with last year.
- marginal costthe extra cost of producing one more itemThe marginal cost of adding one more user is almost zero.
- marginal differencea very small differenceThere is only a marginal difference between the two phones.
- marginal rolea part that is small and not importantWomen played only a marginal role in politics at that time.