mar·gin·al (mär?j?-n?l)adj.1. Of, relating to, located at, or constituting a margin, a border, or an edge: the marginal strip of beach; a marginal issue that had no bearing on the election results.2. Being adjacent geographically: states marginal to Canada.3. Written or printed in the margin of a book: marginal notes.4. Barely within a lower standard or limit of quality: marginal writing ability; eked out a marginal existence.5. Economics a. Having to do with enterprises that produce goods or are capable of producing goods at a rate that barely covers production costs.b. Relating to commodities thus manufactured and sold.6. Psychology Relating to or located at the fringe of consciousness.n. One that is considered to be at a lower or outer limit, as of social acceptability: “is fascinated by marginals, by people who live on the edge of society” (Dan Yakir).mar?gin·al?i·ty (-j?-n?l??-t?) n.mar?gin·al·ly adv.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.marginal (?m??d??n?l) adj1. of, in, on, or constituting a margin2. close to a limit, esp a lower limit: marginal legal ability. 3. not considered central or important; insignificant; minor; small4. (Economics) economics relating to goods or services produced and sold at the margin of profitability: marginal cost. 5. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) politics chiefly Brit and NZ of or designating a constituency in which elections tend to be won by small margins: a marginal seat. 6. (Agriculture) designating agricultural land on the margin of cultivated zones7. (Economics) economics relating to a small change in something, such as total cost, revenue, or consumer satisfactionn (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) politics chiefly Brit and NZ a marginal constituency marginality n ?marginally advCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014mar?gin?al (?m?r d?? nl) adj. 1. pertaining to a margin. 2. situated on a border, edge, or fringe. 3. at the lower limits; minimal for requirements: marginal ability. 4. written or printed in the margin of a page. 5. insignificant; minor: a marginal improvement. 6. having contact with two or more cultural groups but not fully accepted in any of them. 7. a. selling goods at a price that just equals the additional cost of producing the last unit supplied. b. of or pertaining to goods produced and marketed at margin: marginal profits. [1570?80;