marginal: Meaning and Definition of

mar•gin•al

Pronunciation: (mär'ju-nl), [key]
— adj.
  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. marked by contact with disparate cultures, and acquiring some but not all the traits or values common to any one of them.
  6. marginal profits.
    1. selling goods at a price that just equals the additional cost of producing the last unit supplied.
    2. of or pertaining to goods produced and marketed at margin:marginal profits.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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