margin
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the empty white space at the side, top, or bottom of a printed page.
n.the blank border on each side of the text on a page, often used for annotations.
Simple“She wrote several small notes in the left margin of her textbook.”
In context“The student was instructed to leave a wide margin on the right side of the essay for the professor's feedback and corrections.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the amount of points, votes, or time that separates the winner from the loser.
n.the amount by which one thing is different from another, particularly in a competitive context.
Simple“The politician won the election by a very small margin of only fifty votes.”
In context“The team secured their victory by a narrow margin, scoring the winning goal in the final seconds of the match.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the difference between the cost of making something and the price it is sold for.
n.the difference between the total cost of production and the final selling price, representing the net profit per unit.
Simple“The company is trying to increase its profit margin by reducing shipping costs.”
In context“Retailers often operate on thin margins, relying on high sales volumes to compensate for the low profit earned on individual items.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.money or property given to a broker as a guarantee when borrowing money to buy stocks.
n.collateral deposited by an investor with their broker to cover the credit risk of a transaction.
Simple“He had to sell his shares because he couldn't meet the margin call.”
In context“Trading on margin allows investors to leverage their positions, though it significantly increases the risk of substantial financial loss if the market turns.”
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
n.the outer edge or border of a plant's leaf.
n.the boundary area extending along the edge of the leaf blade.
Simple“You can identify this tree by the jagged margin of its leaves.”
In context“The botanist noted that the leaf margin was serrated, a key characteristic for distinguishing this species from its relatives.”
- 06 C2 Proficiency
v.to provide something with a border or to write notes in the edge of a page.
v.to provide with a margin or to annotate within the marginal space of a document.
Simple“The old manuscript was heavily margined with comments from previous readers.”
In context“The editor carefully margined the draft, ensuring that the layout complied with the publisher's strict formatting requirements.”
Usage margin of error
“It enjoys profit margins of about 60% and pays out more than £20m a year to the monarch’s eldest son.”
“For the total sample, the margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.”
From Middle English margyn, from Latin marginem (possibly via Old French margin), accusative of margō (“edge, brink, border, margin”). Doublet of marge and margo.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.