Standard Lemma guide

margin

noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈmɑː.d͡ʒɪn/
  • General-American: /ˈmɑɹ.d͡ʒɪn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈmaː.d͡ʒɪn/
  • rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)dʒɪn
  • CMU ARPABET: M AA1 R JH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The edge of the paper, typically left blank when printing but sometimes used for annotations etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: media, publishing, typography

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The edge or border of any flat surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The edge defining inclusion in or exclusion from a set or group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A difference or ratio between results, characteristics, scores.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • margin of victory

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • margin of error

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The yield or profit; the selling price minus the cost of production.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

That which is ancillary; periphery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This model merely nips at the margins.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

The shape of the edge of a leaf.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To add a margin to; to furnish with a margin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To enter (notes etc.) into the margin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To trade (securities etc.) on margin (collateral).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: allowance, leeway, tolerance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: discrepancy, disagreement, divergence, variance

14

noun

Meaning 14

an amount beyond the minimum necessary

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the margin of victory

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: amount

Narrower terms: margin of safety, safety margin, margin of error, narrow margin, narrowness, slimness

15

noun

Meaning 15

the blank space that surrounds the text on a page

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he jotted a note in the margin

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: space, blank space, place

16

noun

Meaning 16

(finance) the net sales minus the cost of goods and services sold

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gross profit, gross profit margin

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: net income, net, net profit, lucre, profit, profits, earnings

17

noun

Meaning 17

the amount of collateral a customer deposits with a broker when borrowing from the broker to buy securities

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: security deposit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: down payment, deposit

18

noun

Meaning 18

the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: border, perimeter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: boundary, edge, bound

Narrower terms: lip

History

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.

Across languages

Translations

104 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: kantlyn — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Arabic: هَامِش (hāmiš) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Armenian: լուսանցք (lusancʻkʻ) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Azerbaijani: kənar — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Azerbaijani: qıraq — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Bashkir: сит (sit) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Belarusian: по́ле (pólje) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Bulgarian: поле́ (polé) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Bulgarian: марж (marž) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Catalan: marge — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Chinese Mandarin: 邊界 /边界 (biānjiè) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Czech: okraj — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Dutch: kantlijn — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Dutch: marge — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Esperanto: marĝeno — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Finnish: marginaali — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • French: marge — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Galician: marxe — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • German: Seitenrand — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Greek: περιθώριο (perithório) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Hungarian: margó — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Hungarian: lapszél — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Italian: margine — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Japanese: 余白 (yohaku) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Korean: 여백 (yeobaek) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Korean: 마진 (majin) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Māori: taitapa — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Māori: tawhē — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Middle English: margyn — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Norwegian Bokmål: marg — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Occitan: marge — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Polish: margines — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Portuguese: margem — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Russian: по́ле (póle) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Russian: поля́ (poljá) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Scottish Gaelic: oir — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Serbo-Croatian: марги́на — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Serbo-Croatian: margína — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Slovak: okraj — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Slovene: rob — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Spanish: margen — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Swedish: marginal — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Turkish: kenar — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Ukrainian: по́ле (póle) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Ukrainian: маргіне́с (marhinés) — typography: edge of the paper that remains blank
  • Afrikaans: rand — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Bashkir: сит (sit) — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Bulgarian: ръб (rǎb) — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Catalan: marge — edge or border of any flat surface
  • French: marge — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Galician: marxe — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Hungarian: perem — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Hungarian: szegély — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Hungarian: szél — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Irish: imeall — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Latin: margō — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Māori: taitapa — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Māori: paenga — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Russian: край (kraj) — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Russian: кро́мка (krómka) — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Serbo-Croatian: ру̑б — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Serbo-Croatian: rȗb — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Slovene: rob — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Ottoman Turkish: لب (leb) — edge or border of any flat surface
  • Afrikaans: rand — figuratively: edge defining inclusion in or exclusion from a set or group
  • Armenian: լուսանցք (lusancʻkʻ) — figuratively: edge defining inclusion in or exclusion from a set or group
  • Hungarian: perem — figuratively: edge defining inclusion in or exclusion from a set or group
  • Ukrainian: маргіне́с (marhinés) — figuratively: edge defining inclusion in or exclusion from a set or group
  • Hungarian: különbség — difference between results, characteristics
  • Hungarian: különbözet — difference between results, characteristics
  • Hungarian: hibahatár — permissible difference
  • Hungarian: tűrés — permissible difference
  • Russian: до́пуск (dópusk) — permissible difference
  • Serbo-Croatian: за́зор — permissible difference
  • Serbo-Croatian: zázor — permissible difference
  • Spanish: margen — permissible difference
  • Bulgarian: печа́лба (pečálba) — finance: yield or profit
  • Bulgarian: марж (marž) — finance: yield or profit
  • Czech: marže — finance: yield or profit
  • French: marge — finance: yield or profit
  • German: Gewinnspanne — finance: yield or profit
  • German: Gewinnmarge — finance: yield or profit
  • German: Marge — finance: yield or profit
  • Hungarian: árrés — finance: yield or profit
  • Hungarian: haszonkulcs — finance: yield or profit
  • Hungarian: marzs — finance: yield or profit
  • Irish: corrlach — finance: yield or profit
  • Japanese: 差金 (sakin) — finance: yield or profit
  • Korean: 차금 (chageum) — finance: yield or profit
  • Korean: 마진 (majin) — finance: yield or profit
  • Latvian: marža — finance: yield or profit
  • Lithuanian: marža — finance: yield or profit
  • Polish: marża — finance: yield or profit
  • Russian: при́быль (príbylʹ) — finance: yield or profit
  • Russian: маржа́ (maržá) — finance: yield or profit
  • Serbo-Croatian: марги́на — finance: yield or profit
  • Serbo-Croatian: margína — finance: yield or profit
  • Slovene: dobiček — finance: yield or profit
  • Slovene: marža — finance: yield or profit
  • Spanish: margen — finance: yield or profit
  • Swedish: marginal — finance: yield or profit
  • Turkish: kâr — finance: yield or profit
  • Ukrainian: ма́ржа (márža) — finance: yield or profit
  • German: Einschuss — finance: collateral security deposited with a broker
Real reading context

margin in complete knowledge articles