There is only a marginal difference between the two.
Source: tatoeba (72913)
Marginal
/ˈmɑː.d͡ʒɪ.nəl/
Synonyms for "marginal" (86 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (18)
Adjective(4 words)
Adverb(1 words)
barely adequate margin
Verb(1 words)
Noun(1 words)
economic outsider
Strong matches (25)
Adjective(9 words)
Noun(3 words)
Related words (43)
minimalnegligibleno great shakesof no accountof no consequenceof no matterof no significanceon the edgequestionablerimmingsecondarysideskirtingslightsmallterminalthresholdtinyunimportant
Adjective(14 words)
one dimensionalouteroutlying settlementpaltriestperipheralperipheral issueperipheral matterpuniestsecondaryslightersmall differencetenuousunivariateunpopular
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: borderline, additional, bare, barely adequate margin, bordering.
- Sentence evidence is available for marginal, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "marginal".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "marginal"
Keep "marginal" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "marginal" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "marginal", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "marginal" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
11 entriesmarginal areamarginal costmarginal densitymarginal effectmarginal impactmarginal influencemarginal probabilitymarginal productmarginal regionmarginal revenuemarginal zone
Collocations
6 entriesmarginal analysismarginal costmarginal distributionmarginal revenuemarginal utilitymarginal zone
Inflections
2 entriesmore marginalmost marginal
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
5 entriesTranslations
16 translations across 11 languages.
Armenian
1 entries- լուսանցքային adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Catalan
1 entries- marginal adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 边缘的 adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
- 边际的 adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Finnish
2 entries- marginaalinen adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
- vaa’ankieli- adj (where the winning margin was a small proportion of the total number of votes)
French
2 entries- marginal adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
- périphérique adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Galician
1 entries- marxinal adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Japanese
2 entries- 辺境の adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
- 隅の adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Portuguese
2 entries- marginal adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
- periférico adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Spanish
1 entries- marginal adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Swedish
1 entries- marginell adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Ukrainian
1 entries- маргіна́льний adj (of, relating to, or located at a margin or an edge)
Sample sentences
23 total sentences available.
The Marginal Tietê expressway has two kilometres of traffic.
Source: tatoeba (5087364)
Prior to the 20th century, it was the most marginal of ideas to claim Jews were merely a religion and not a people.
Source: tatoeba (8660819)
My views are marginal.
Source: tatoeba (11044242)
Showing 4 of 23 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "marginal"?
Closest matches include borderline, additional, bare, barely adequate margin, bordering.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "marginal"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.