the empty space along the sides, top, or bottom of a printed or written page
Emma drew a bright red line in the margin to remind herself where to start the paragraph.
The teacher wrote helpful comments in the margins of my essay.
✦ From Latin margin-, margo “edge, border”.
the amount by which one number or amount is greater than another
Our team won the game by a five-point margin.
Sales rose last month, but only by a narrow margin.
✦ Extended figurative sense recorded since the 19th century.
the amount of money left after costs are subtracted from the selling price; profit
The company’s profit margin improved after they reduced production costs.
We need to set a higher margin if we want to stay in business.
✦ Business sense developed in the early 20th century from the idea of an allowance or space between cost and price.
the outer edge or border of an area, place, or thing
Tall pine trees grew along the margin of the lake.
A fence marks the margin between the two fields.
✦ Sense of physical edge is the oldest, dating back to Middle English.
of low importance or quality; barely adequate or effective.
The new feature provided only a marginal improvement in speed.
Her involvement in the project was marginal at best.
✦ From Late Latin marginalis, from Latin margo (“margin, edge”) + -alis.
