Marginaalinen

Marginaalinen is a Finnish adjective meaning related to a margin or edge, either physical or figurative. Literally it can describe something at or near a boundary, but it is also used to denote peripheral, marginal, or secondary status within a larger system or context.

In technical fields the term is common in several senses. In mathematics and statistics, phrases such as marginalijakauma (marginal distribution) and marginaalitiheys (marginal density) are standard. A marginal distribution focuses on one variable after summing or integrating out the others. The word also appears in economics and related disciplines to describe concepts that pertain to the edge of a decision or scale, such as marginal cost (marginaalikustannus) and marginal utility (marginaalihyöty).

In social sciences marginalisointi or marginaalisuus refers to the process or condition of being pushed to the periphery of society, economy, or culture. A marginalinen ryhmä (marginal group) is a group that is underrepresented, underprivileged, or excluded from dominant structures. The term is used across disciplines to discuss phenomena at the boundaries of mainstream inclusion.

Etymology traces marginaalinen to marginaali meaning margin, itself coming from older European languages for edge or border. In Finnish, marginaali and marginaaliset forms have become established terms across both everyday language and specialized discourse. The sense of marginality can thus span literal edges and figurative borders in research, policy, and discourse.