Margin

/ˈmɑːrdʒɪn/

Meaning & Definition

noun

The edge or border of something.

Please leave a margin of one inch on all sides of your paper.

The difference between the cost and the selling price of a product.

The profit margin on this item is ten percent.

A spare amount or degree; a buffer.

We completed the project with a small margin of time to spare before the deadline.

An amount by which something is won or lost.

The election was decided by a narrow margin.

A space around printed or written material.

She made notes in the margins of the book.

verb

To place something in the margin or to provide a margin for something.

He decided to margin the notes he made during the lecture.

Middle English, from Latin 'marginalis', from 'margo' meaning 'edge' or 'border'.

profit margin

The difference between the cost of goods sold and the sales price.

safety margin

An amount or degree of reserve that provides security against loss.

margin of error

The amount of inaccuracy allowed in a measurement or calculation.

marginal

Related to or situated at the edge or margin.

marginalize

To treat (a person, group, or concept) as insignificant or peripheral.

A safe distance or buffer.

I like to keep a margin when I drive, just in case.

Extra time or resources.

I finished my project with a margin to spare.