marginal

Small in size or importance, or only slightly connected to the main subject.

• The change had only a marginal effect.
• Her role in the project was marginal.
• Sales showed a marginal increase last month.

How to use it: marginal to something (These details are marginal to our main argument.)

Similar words: minor, slight, peripheral

Opposites: major, central

Common phrases: marginal importance, marginal increase, marginal role

Relating to the cost, income, or tax for one extra item produced or amount earned.

• The marginal cost of another copy is low.
• Her marginal tax rate rose after the pay increase.
• The company compared marginal revenue with marginal costs.

Similar words: incremental

Common phrases: marginal cost, marginal tax rate, marginal revenue

Only just good enough to be accepted, or almost too poor to use.

• His work is marginal at best.
• The test results showed marginal performance.
• With such marginal skills, she may struggle in this job.

Similar words: borderline, barely adequate

Opposites: excellent

Common phrases: marginal quality, marginal performance, marginal at best

Written in the empty space beside the main text on a page.

• The book contains marginal notes.
• Her marginal comments helped me understand the poem.
• Several marginal annotations were added by a later reader.

Common phrases: marginal notes, marginal comments, marginal annotation

Producing very little, especially when growing food or earning money.

• Few crops grow on this marginal land.
• The farmers struggled to earn money from marginal fields.
• Drought made several farms marginal.

Similar words: barely productive, low-yielding

Opposites: productive

Common phrases: marginal land, marginal farmland, marginal farms

At or near the outer edge of an area or object.

• These plants grow in marginal areas of the marsh.
• The leaf has small marginal teeth.
• Flooding affected the marginal zones beside the lake.

Similar words: peripheral, bordering

Opposites: central

Common phrases: marginal area, marginal zone, marginal plants