marginally

American  

[mahr-juh-nl-ee] / ˈmɑr dʒə nl i /

adverb

1. by a minimal, insignificant, or almost insufficient amount.

   This student routinely submits work of substandard or marginally acceptable quality.

   Pork exports in May were marginally higher compared with the previous year.

2. at a barely adequate level.

   The shelter offers shower and laundry facilities for homeless and marginally housed adults.

3. in the margin of a page.

   It is obvious that Jack London read these books, as they are marked, underlined, and marginally annotated.

4. on the border of something.

   On the wings of butterflies, marginally located contrastive markings create false edges, helping to decrease detection by predators.

---

Other Word Forms

• supermarginally adverb
• transmarginally adverb
• unmarginally adverb

Etymology

Origin of marginally

marginal ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Joblessness broadly held steady across the bloc, slightly up in Italy, marginally down in Spain, while unchanged in France and Germany.

From The Wall Street Journal

Manufacturing employment rose only marginally—and at the weakest rate for eight months—while services saw outright declines.

From Barron's

That advantage shrank marginally after Republican President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986, providing a path to citizenship for millions.

From Salon

“While growth continues to be driven by robust industrial production, marginally stronger-than-expected retail sales and a surprise turnaround in fixed assets investment injected some optimism to China’s outlook,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Treasury yields declined in Asian trade, while ultralong Treasury yields are marginally higher, as investors sought clarity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• kind of
• lightly
• somewhat