margin

margin — 名詞

1. the number of votes, points, or similar units that separate a winner from a lose

1.名詞B2
釋義

差距；差額

勝負或比較之間的差量

the number of votes, points, or similar units that separate a winner from a loser in a competition, election, or game.

例句

The Labour Party won the seat by a margin of just two hundred votes.

工黨以僅僅兩百票的差距贏得了這個席次。

by a margin of [amount] to state the difference

João beat his closest rival by a wide margin in the final race.

João 在最後一輪比賽中以懸殊的差距擊敗了最接近的對手。

by a wide / narrow margin for the size of the gap

同義詞
  • 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

❌The team won with a margin of 10 points.
✅The team won by a margin of 10 points.
💡use 'by', not 'with', before 'a margin'.

2. the profit earned from selling goods, equal to the selling price after subtracti

2.名詞B2
釋義

利潤；利潤率

售價扣除成本後的獲利空間

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.

例句

The company's profit margin has dropped from fifteen percent to eight percent this year.

該公司的利潤率今年從百分之十五下降到百分之八。

profit margin + percentage change

Corner shops usually operate on very thin margins.

雜貨店通常只能靠非常微薄的利潤來經營。

thin margin = very small profit

同義詞
  • profit

    the absolute amount earned; margin is a ratio or relative figure

  • markup

    specifically the amount added to the cost price to set the selling price

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

❌The profit margin of this product is high.
✅The profit margin on this product is high.
💡use 'on', not 'of', to link the margin to the product.

3. the empty area on a page between the main printed or written text and the edges

3.名詞B1
釋義

頁邊空白

文字旁的空白區域

the empty area on a page between the main printed or written text and the edges of the paper.

例句

The teacher wrote short comments in the margin of Chidi's essay.

老師在 Chidi 的作文頁邊空白處寫了簡短的評語。

in the margin (preposition pattern)

Beatrix drew tiny stars in the margin next to each new vocabulary word.

Beatrix 在每個新單字旁邊的頁邊空白處畫了小星星。

同義詞
  • border

    refers to the decorative or structural edge, not just blank space

  • edge

    the physical outer boundary of the paper, not the designated blank area

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

❌Write your notes on the margin.
✅Write your notes in the margin.
💡use 'in', not 'on', for annotations placed inside the margin area.

4. the extreme outer part or boundary of an area, surface, or body of water.

4.名詞B2
釋義

邊緣；邊界

物體或區域的外圍地帶

the extreme outer part or boundary of an area, surface, or body of water.

例句

Tall reeds grew along the eastern margin of the lake.

高高的蘆葦沿著湖的東岸生長。

margin of [body of water]

Hoa walked along the margin of the forest where the sunlight still reached.

Hoa 沿著森林邊緣走，那裡的陽光還能照到。

同義詞
  • edge

    the everyday word for the outer boundary of an object

  • border

    often implies a defined or decorative boundary between two areas

  • rim

    specifically for circular openings such as a cup, glass, or crater

反義詞

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

❌The margin of the table is sharp.
✅The edge of the table is sharp.
💡for everyday furniture and objects, 'edge' is the natural word; 'margin' sounds overly technical.

5. a state of being at the outer edge of a community or field, where a person or ca

5.名詞C1
釋義

邊緣地位

不被主流接納的狀態

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.

例句

Many immigrant communities live on the margins of mainstream society.

許多移民社群生活在主流社會的邊緣。

on the margins of society

The charity supports young people who are on the margins of the labour market.

該慈善機構幫助處於勞動市場邊緣的年輕人。

on the margins of [field/activity]

同義詞
  • fringe

    similar meaning but often implies the radical or unconventional edge, not necessarily disadvantaged

  • periphery

    more formal; describes a position far from the centre of power or influence

反義詞

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

❌He lives in the margin of society.
✅He lives on the margins of society.
💡this sense always takes the plural 'margins' and the preposition 'on'.

6. an additional amount of time, money, space, or other resource that is included t

6.名詞B2
釋義

緩衝；餘裕

為安全或錯誤保留的額外額度

an additional amount of time, money, space, or other resource that is included to allow for possible problems, mistakes, or unexpected events.

例句

The engineers designed the bridge with a safety margin of thirty percent.

工程師在橋樑設計中加入了百分之三十的安全係數。

safety margin + percentage

Mauricio booked the flight with a margin of three extra hours for delays.

Mauricio 預訂航班時多留了三小時的緩衝時間以應付延誤。

同義詞
  • leeway

    freedom to act or deviate within limits; less precise than margin

  • buffer

    something that protects against negative effects; often used for time or resources

  • allowance

    a specific amount set aside for a particular purpose

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

❌There is no error margin in this project.
✅There is no margin for error in this project.
💡use 'margin for error', not 'error margin'.

7. an amount of money or financial assets that an investor gives to a broker as a g

7.名詞C1
釋義

保證金

向券商繳交的信用交易擔保金

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.

例句

Investors must deposit a margin of at least thirty percent to trade on credit.

投資者必須存入至少百分之三十的保證金才能進行信用交易。

deposit a margin of [percentage]

Nikos received a margin call when the value of his shares dropped sharply.

Nikos 的股票價值暴跌時，他收到了券商的追繳保證金通知。

margin call = request for more deposit

同義詞
  • 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.

常見錯誤

❌I bought the shares with margin.
✅I bought the shares on margin.
💡'on margin' is the fixed prepositional phrase, not 'with margin'.