marginal

adjective mar·gin·al \ˈmärj-nəl, ˈmär-jə-n^əl\

: not very important

: very slight or small

: not included in the main part of society or of a group

Full Definition of MARGINAL

: written or printed in the margin of a page or sheet <marginal notes>

a : of, relating to, or situated at a margin or border

b : not of central importance <regards violence as a marginal rather than a central problem>; also : limited in extent, significance, or stature <had only marginal success with the business>

c (1) : occupying the borderland of a relatively stable territorial or cultural area <marginal tribes> (2) : characterized by the incorporation of habits and values from two divergent cultures and by incomplete assimilation in either <the marginal cultural habits of new immigrant groups> (3) : excluded from or existing outside the mainstream of society, a group, or a school of thought <marginal voters>

: located at the fringe of consciousness <marginal sensations>

a : close to the lower limit of qualification, acceptability, or function : barely exceeding the minimum requirements <a semiliterate person of marginal ability>

b (1) : having a character or capacity fitted to yield a supply of goods which when marketed at existing price levels will barely cover the cost of production <marginal land> (2) : of, relating to, or derived from goods produced and marketed with such result <marginal profits>

: relating to or being a function of a random variable that is obtained from a function of several random variables by integrating or summing over all possible values of the other variables <a marginal probability function>

— mar·gin·al·i·ty \ˌmär-jə-ˈna-lə-tē\ noun

— mar·gin·al·ly \ˈmärj-nə-lē, ˈmär-jə-n^əl-ē\ adverb

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