MARGINAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does marginal mean? 

• MARGINAL (adjective)
  The adjective MARGINAL has 4 senses:

1. at or constituting a border or edge

2. of questionable or minimal quality

3. just barely adequate or within a lower limit

4. producing at a rate that barely covers production costs

  Familiarity information: MARGINAL used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MARGINAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

At or constituting a border or edge

Synonyms:

fringy; marginal

Context example:

the marginal strip of beach

Similar:

peripheral (on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary; the outer area)

Derivation:

margin (the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary)

marginality (the property of being marginal or on the fringes)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of questionable or minimal quality

Synonyms:

borderline; marginal

Context example:

marginal writing ability

Similar:

minimal; minimum (the least possible)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Just barely adequate or within a lower limit

Synonyms:

bare; marginal

Context example:

a marginal victory

Similar:

narrow (very limited in degree)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Producing at a rate that barely covers production costs

Context example:

marginal industries

Similar:

unprofitable (producing little or no profit or gain)

 Context examples 

Representative examples include grade 1 and grade 2 follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, and lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma.

(Indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus)

The section of the right coronary artery distal to the origin of the acute marginal artery.

(Distal Right Coronary Artery Conduit, NCI Thesaurus)

The section of the right coronary artery between the right ventricular artery and the acute marginal artery.

(Mid-Right Coronary Artery Conduit, NCI Thesaurus)

Also called marginal zone B-cell lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma.

(MZL, NCI Dictionary)

A nodal marginal zone lymphoma affecting the pediatric population, predominantly males.

(Pediatric Nodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A primary nodal B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma which morphologically resembles lymph nodes involved by marginal zone lymphomas of extranodal or splenic types, but without evidence of extranodal or splenic disease.

(Nodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus/WHO)

An extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue that arises from the colon.

(Colon Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus)

Representative examples include small lymphocytic lymphoma, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, and grade 1 and 2 follicular lymphoma.

(Indolent Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus)

A translocation of this gene and the IGH gene locus may be associated with splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma.

(CCND3 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

An extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue that arises from the breast as a primary tumor.

(Breast Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus)