margin
/'mɑ:dʤin/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A permissible difference; a limited amount or degree of freedom: An allowable amount of variation or leeway within set limits.
- The blank space bordering the written or printed area on a page: The unprinted edge or border of a document.
- (Finance) The difference between net sales revenue and the cost of goods sold: A measure of profitability, often expressed as a percentage.
- (Finance) Collateral deposited with a broker to secure a loan for purchasing securities: The amount of equity an investor must provide when buying stocks on credit.
- An amount or degree of difference beyond a minimum or required level: The extent by which one thing exceeds another, especially in competition.
- The boundary or edge of something: The outer limit or border of an area or surface.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The contract allows a margin of error of 2%. (It permits a small, acceptable degree of mistake.)
- Please write your comments in the margin of the report. (Write your notes in the blank space at the side of the page.)
- The company's profit margin increased this quarter. (The difference between revenue and costs grew.)
- The broker required a 50% margin to buy the stock. (The investor had to deposit 50% of the stock's value as collateral.)
- She won the election by a narrow margin of 100 votes. (The difference in votes between her and the runner-up was very small.)
- They built a fence along the margin of the property. (The fence was constructed at the boundary line of the land.)
Advanced Usage
"To have a margin for error": To have a permissible amount of room for mistakes.
- We built extra time into the schedule to have a margin for error.
"Margin of safety": An extra buffer or amount beyond the minimum required to reduce risk.
- Engineers design bridges with a significant margin of safety.
"By a comfortable/wide margin": By a large or decisive amount.
- The home team won the game by a comfortable margin.
Variants and Related Words
- Marginal (adj): Relating to or situated at a margin; very small or insignificant.
- The difference in quality was marginal.
- Marginalize (verb): To treat a person or group as insignificant or peripheral.
- Policies should not marginalize minority communities.
Synonyms
- Edge: The outside limit of an object, area, or surface.
- Border: The boundary or outer part of something.
- Leeway: The amount of freedom to move or act that is available.
- Surplus: An amount of something left over when requirements have been met.
Related Phrases
"On the margins": At the outer limits; in a position of little importance or influence.
- That theory exists on the margins of mainstream science.
"Margin call": (Finance) A broker's demand for an investor to deposit additional money or securities to bring an account up to the minimum required value.
- He had to sell assets quickly to meet the margin call.
Noun
- a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits
- the blank space that surrounds the text on a page
- he jotted a note in the margin
- (finance) the net sales minus the cost of goods and services sold
- the amount of collateral a customer deposits with a broker when borrowing from the broker to buy securities
- an amount beyond the minimum necessary
- the margin of victory
- the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary