margin
[noun]
Synonyms: edge, border, boundary, brink, perimeter, periphery, rim, side, verge

---

Related Words: frame, trimming, shore, side, abut, connect, join, line, neighbor, touch

---

English Thesaurus: edge, side, rim, margin, hem, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

mar‧gin W3 AC /ˈmɑːdʒən, ˈmɑːdʒɪn $ ˈmɑːr-/ noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: margin, marginalization; adjective: marginal, marginalized; verb: marginalize; adverb: marginally]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: margo 'border']

1. the empty space at the side of a page:
Someone had scribbled a note in the margin.
Use double spacing and wide margins to leave room for comments.

2. the difference in the number of votes, points etc that exists between the winners and the losers of a competition or election
by a wide/narrow/significant etc margin
They’re a world-class team and it was no surprise that they won by such a wide margin.
by a margin of 10 points/100 votes etc
The bill was approved by a margin of 55 votes.

3. the difference between what it costs a business to buy or produce something and what they sell it for:
Margins are low and many companies are struggling.
Within 10 years they had a gross profit margin of 50%.

4. [usually singular] an additional amount of something such as time, money, or space that you include in order to make sure that you are successful in achieving something:
It’ll take about 30 minutes to dry but I’d allow a safety margin of, say, another 10 minutes.

5. margin of error the degree to which a calculation might or can be wrong:
The survey has a margin of error of 2.1%.

6. margin for error how many mistakes you can make and still be able to achieve something:
At this late stage in the competition there is no margin for error.

7. technical or literary the edge of something, especially an area of land or water:
the western margin of southern Africa

8. on the margin(s) a person on the margins of a situation or group has very little power, importance, or influence Synonym : on the fringes:
unemployed youths living on the margins of society

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

margin
noun
I. empty space at the side of a page in a book, etc.
ADJ. generous, wide Leave a generous margin on the left.
narrow | left-hand, right-hand
VERB + MARGIN leave, rule, set | adjust
PREP. at the ~ Start writing at the left-hand margin.
in the ~ She scribbled notes in the margin.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

margin
II. space, time, votes, etc. by which sth is won
ADJ. comfortable, considerable, greater, huge, large, wide | narrow, slim, small | clear, safe
VERB + MARGIN have
PREP. by a ~ She won by a clear margin.
~ over He had an 18-second margin over his nearest rival.
PHRASES by the largest/narrowest, etc. of margins He won by the narrowest of margins.
a margin of victory

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

margin
III. amount of extra space, time, etc.
ADJ. good, greater, wide Sales predictions are open to wide margins of error.
narrow | adequate | safety
VERB + MARGIN allow (sb/sth), give (sb/sth), leave, provide The device gives a greater margin of safety.
PREP. ~ for We have substantial reserves, which provide a good margin for uncertainties.
PHRASES a margin for/of error The schedule left no margin for error.
a margin of safety

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

margin
IV. profit
ADJ. high, large | low, narrow, small, tight We're working to rather tight profit margins.
gross, net | profit | operating, pre-tax, retail
VERB + MARGIN achieve, have These manufacturers have high gross margins.
operate at/on, work to | improve, increase Higher productivity has enabled them to increase their profit margins.
cut, erode, reduce, squeeze Price rises have eroded profit margins.
MARGIN + VERB widen | narrow
PREP. at a ~ They are operating at very low margins.
~ on They hope to improve their margins on computers.
 ⇒ Note at PER CENT (for more verbs)

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

margin

wide
The margin should be wider.
narrow (=not wide)
The margins are very narrow, making the page look cluttered.
a generous margin (=wide)
Leave a generous margin at the side of the page.
the right-hand margin (=on the right of the page)
There were some notes written in the right-hand margin.
the left-hand margin (=on the left of the page)
All typing begins at the left-hand margin.
leave a margin
The teacher told us to leave a margin wide enough for him to write corrections.
set the margins (=make them a particular size)
Set the margins to have one inch on each side.
a large/big margin
By a large margin, the book sold more copies than any other this year.
a huge margin (=a very big one)
They won the championship by a huge margin.
a small margin
Visitors from other parts of Scotland exceeded foreign visitors by only a small margin.
a narrow margin (=a very small one)
The proposal passed, but only by a narrow margin.
win by a large/small etc margin
The party won by a huge margin.
lose by a large/small etc margin
He lost by only a narrow margin.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

edge the part of something that is furthest from its centre or nearest the place where it ends:
He got up quickly, knocking his plate off the edge of the table.
the outer edge of the village
side the part of something that is near its left or right edge:
On the left side of the garden there was an old stone wall.
They parked by the side of the road.
rim the edge of something circular, especially the top of a cup or glass, or the outside edge of a pair of glasses:
a white cup with a gold rim
She was looking at me over the rim of her spectacles.
margin the empty space at the side of a page that has writing on it:
My teacher had marked my essay and made some comments in the margin.
Leave wide margins on both sides of the page.
hem the edge of a piece of cloth that is turned under and stitched down, especially the lower edge of a skirt, trousers etc:
If you want the dress a bit shorter, I can easily turn up the hem.
kerb British English, curb American English the edge of the pavement (=raised path) at the side of a road:
A big black car was parked at the kerb.
outskirts the areas of a city that are furthest away from the centre:
The new station was built on the outskirts of the city.
perimeter the outside edge around an enclosed area of land such as a military camp or a prison:
Security guards patrol the perimeter night and day.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲