What does "margin" mean?
The edge of the paper, typically left blank when printing but sometimes used for annotations etc.
Margin
/ˈmɑːɹd͡ʒ(ə)n/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The edge of the paper, typically left blank when printing but sometimes used for annotations etc.
- Grammar: margin is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: border, leeway, abut, adjoin.
- Useful contrasts: bosom, cell nucleus, center.
- Usage evidence: We left a margin for error in our estimates.
How to use "margin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "margin" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "margin" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "margin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "margin" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "margin" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "border" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "margin", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The edge of the paper, typically left blank when printing but sometimes used for annotations etc.
- 2 a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits wordnet
- 3 The edge or border of any flat surface.
"Nothing could be more business-like than the construction of the stout dams, and nothing more gently rural than the limpid lakes, with the grand old forest trees marshalled round their margins like a veteran army that had marched down to drink, only to be stricken motionless at the water’s edge."
- 4 an amount beyond the minimum necessary wordnet
- 5 The edge defining inclusion in or exclusion from a set or group. figuratively
"As far as space is concerned, Mary Lamb finds herself at the farthest margin of society - among tramps - when the novel begins."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 the blank space that surrounds the text on a page wordnet
- 7 A difference or ratio between results, characteristics, scores.
"margin of victory"
- 8 (finance) the net sales minus the cost of goods and services sold wordnet
- 9 A permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits.
"margin of error"
- 10 the amount of collateral a customer deposits with a broker when borrowing from the broker to buy securities wordnet
- 11 The yield or profit; the selling price minus the cost of production.
- 12 the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary wordnet
- 13 Collateral security deposited with a broker, to compensate the broker in the event of loss in the speculative buying and selling of stocks, commodities, etc.
"The purchaser then hands over this margin to the person with whom he hypothecates the Stock."
- 14 That which is ancillary; periphery.
"This model merely nips at the margins."
- 15 The shape of the edge of a leaf.
"Red Whortleberry leaves have a crenate margin."
Verb
- 1 To add a margin to. transitive
- 2 To enter (notes etc.) into the margin. transitive
- 3 To trade (securities etc.) on margin (collateral). transitive
"This sounds easy, but bear in mind that margined portfolios decline faster than cash portfolios in a bear market."
Example
"We left a margin for error in our estimates."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "margin"?
Common synonyms include: border, leeway, abut, adjoin, advantage, aesthetic distance.
How do you use "margin" in a sentence?
We left a margin for error in our estimates.
How do you pronounce "margin"?
Pronounced /ˈmɑːɹd͡ʒ(ə)n/.
Etymology
From Middle English margyn, from Latin marginem (possibly via Old French margin), accusative of margō (“edge, brink, border, margin”). Doublet of marge and margo.