margin
margin — noun
1. the number of votes, points, or similar units that separate a winner from a lose
the number of votes, points, or similar units that separate a winner from a loser in a competition, election, or game.
The Labour Party won the seat by a margin of just two hundred votes.
by a margin of [amount] to state the difference
João beat his closest rival by a wide margin in the final race.
by a wide / narrow margin for the size of the gap
The margin between gold and silver was less than a tenth of a second.
Anong passed the driving test by a comfortable margin of twelve points.
- gap
more general; can refer to any difference, not just votes/points
- lead
focuses on the winner's advantage rather than the distance between competitors
- difference
neutral term; less specific to competitive outcomes
文法句型
margin of [amount]
by a margin of [amount]
by a [adjective] margin
用法筆記
Frequently appears after the preposition 'by' to describe how someone won or lost: 'won by a large margin', 'lost by a narrow margin'. The adjective signals whether the result was close or decisive.
常見錯誤
2. the profit earned from selling goods, equal to the selling price after subtracti
the profit earned from selling goods, equal to the selling price after subtracting what it cost to make or buy them, often shown as a percentage.
The company's profit margin has dropped from fifteen percent to eight percent this year.
profit margin + percentage change
Corner shops usually operate on very thin margins.
thin margin = very small profit
Ritu increased the margin on each dress by negotiating cheaper fabric.
Pedro sold loaves at a seventy percent margin, but high rent consumed all his profit.
文法句型
margin on [product/service]
profit margin
gross margin
用法筆記
Commonly modified by adjectives that indicate size: 'thin / slim / narrow' for small profits, 'healthy / high / fat' for large profits. 'Gross margin' refers to profit before operating costs are deducted.
常見錯誤
3. the empty area on a page between the main printed or written text and the edges
the empty area on a page between the main printed or written text and the edges of the paper.
The teacher wrote short comments in the margin of Chidi's essay.
in the margin (preposition pattern)
Beatrix drew tiny stars in the margin next to each new vocabulary word.
Leave a wider margin on the left side so the document can be bound.
The margin of the manuscript contained handwritten corrections from the editor.
文法句型
in the margin
left margin
right margin
用法筆記
Often paired with 'left' or 'right' to specify which side of the page. 'In the margin' is the standard prepositional phrase for content placed there.
常見錯誤
4. the extreme outer part or boundary of an area, surface, or body of water.
the extreme outer part or boundary of an area, surface, or body of water.
Tall reeds grew along the eastern margin of the lake.
margin of [body of water]
Hoa walked along the margin of the forest where the sunlight still reached.
The margin of the wound was clean and showed no signs of infection.
Small wildflowers grew at the margin where the field met the road.
文法句型
margin of [place]
at the margin of [place]
用法筆記
More formal and descriptive than 'edge'. Common in geography ('the margin of the continental shelf'), biology ('the leaf margin'), and medicine ('the margin of a wound').
常見錯誤
5. a state of being at the outer edge of a community or field, where a person or ca
a state of being at the outer edge of a community or field, where a person or category of people is not fully included in the mainstream.
Many immigrant communities live on the margins of mainstream society.
on the margins of society
The charity supports young people who are on the margins of the labour market.
on the margins of [field/activity]
When the city council ignored complaints from Ravindra's street, the whole neighbourhood was pushed to the margins of local politics.
Sayaka rented a studio behind a fish market and operated on the margins of the city's art galleries.
文法句型
on the margins of [group/society]
at the margins of [activity]
用法筆記
Almost always uses the plural form 'margins' and the preposition 'on' — 'on the margins'. The singular is rare in this sense. Frequently carries a connotation of exclusion or disadvantage.
常見錯誤
6. an additional amount of time, money, space, or other resource that is included t
an additional amount of time, money, space, or other resource that is included to allow for possible problems, mistakes, or unexpected events.
The engineers designed the bridge with a safety margin of thirty percent.
safety margin + percentage
Mauricio booked the flight with a margin of three extra hours for delays.
The company's budget leaves no margin for unexpected costs this quarter.
The margin for error in brain surgery is extremely small.
文法句型
margin of [resource]
margin for [purpose]
safety margin
margin of error
用法筆記
Commonly appears in fixed phrases: 'margin of error' (acceptable deviation in statistics or measurement), 'safety margin' (extra capacity in engineering), 'margin for error' (allowance for mistakes). Subject is usually a plan, budget, design, or schedule.
常見錯誤
7. an amount of money or financial assets that an investor gives to a broker as a g
an amount of money or financial assets that an investor gives to a broker as a guarantee when borrowing money to buy securities or trade futures contracts.
Investors must deposit a margin of at least thirty percent to trade on credit.
deposit a margin of [percentage]
Nikos received a margin call when the value of his shares dropped sharply.
margin call = request for more deposit
Christopher bought shares of a mining company on margin, but the stock crashed and he lost his whole deposit.
The broker raised the minimum margin requirement to two thousand dollars.
- collateral
any asset pledged as security for a loan; broader than margin which is specific to broker trading
- deposit
a general term for money placed with a financial institution
- security
property pledged as a guarantee; broader financial term
文法句型
on margin
margin call
margin trading
deposit margin
用法筆記
Appears in the fixed phrase 'on margin' (adverb phrase meaning 'using borrowed money from a broker'). 'Margin call' is a separate noun phrase describing the broker's demand for additional deposit when the value of the collateral falls.