Margin Meaning
/ˈmɑː.d͡ʒɪn/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe edge of the paper, typically left blank when printing but sometimes used for annotations etc.
nounThe edge or border of any flat surface.
Sentence Examples
We left a margin for error in our estimates.
This product brought us a large margin.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The teacher asked students to write their notes in the ____ of the notebook pages.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The team won the game by a narrow ____ of just one point, which was a very exciting finish for everyone.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English margyn, from Latin marginem (possibly via Old French margin), accusative of margō (“edge, brink, border, margin”). Doublet of marge and margo.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:
"The lobule margins, furthermore, are arched away from the lobe, with the consequence that (when fully inflated) the abaxial leaf surface forms the interior lining of the lobule."
— 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 7:
"As far as space is concerned, Mary Lamb finds herself at the farthest margin of society - among tramps - when the novel begins."
— 1999, Pierre François, Inlets of the Soul: Contemporary Fiction in English and the Myth of the Fall, page 186:
"Chelsea will point to that victory margin as confirmation of their superiority - but Spurs will complain their hopes of turning the game around were damaged fatally by Atkinson's decision."
— 2012 April 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea”, in BBC:
"in Kentucky, for example, Trump beat Hillary Clinton by a nearly two-to-one margin"
— 2017 March 9, James P. Pinkerton, “A Deus ex Machina for the Climate Change Problem”, in The American Conservative:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The teacher asked students to write their notes in the ____ of the notebook pages.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The team won the game by a narrow ____ of just one point, which was a very exciting finish for everyone.