Marginally significant

USAGE SUMMARY

"Marginally significant" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in contexts where results or findings are close to being statistically significant but do not quite reach the conventional threshold. For example, "The results were marginally significant, suggesting a potential trend worth further investigation." Alternative expressions include "slightly significant" and "barely significant."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Marginally significant correlations (p <.10) indicated in italics.

Behavior Research Methods

Marginally significant value was set at 0.05 ≤  p < 0.1.

BMC Nursing

There is also a marginally significant increase in cortisol postmetyrapone.

Nature

This difference was marginally significant 24 h later.

Clinical Neurophysiology

The following figure shows the marginally significant, but steady trend of 45 reporting eggs.

Princeton University

Instead, the trend shows a marginally significant decrease in the deviations of the egg data.

Princeton University

Precipitation has a small and marginally significant effect in the cooling and heating equations.

Stanford University

Dr. French says he was surprised to see a "marginally significant" penalty for above-average attractiveness.

The New York Times

Our analysis also demonstrates a marginally significant difference in battery use between infected and clean devices.

University of California, Berkeley

A marginally significant interaction between biodiversity and intensity (moderate or extreme).

Nature

Outdoor time was marginally significant for later onset of refraction progression in this young Chinese cohort.

Nature

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "marginally significant", provide the specific p-value to give readers a clearer understanding of the level of significance.

Common error

Avoid interpreting "marginally significant" results as definitive evidence. Instead, frame them as preliminary findings that warrant further investigation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "marginally significant" primarily functions as an adjective phrase used to modify a noun, typically referring to a statistical result or finding. It describes the degree of statistical significance, indicating that the result is close to, but not quite at, the conventional significance level. As Ludwig confirms, this is a valid phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

49%

Academia

39%

News & Media

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "marginally significant" is a common term, as confirmed by Ludwig, primarily used in scientific and academic writing to describe results that approach, but do not quite reach, statistical significance. It serves as a qualifier, alerting readers to the tentative nature of the findings. While grammatically correct, it's essential to provide specific p-values and avoid overstating the importance of such results. Alternatives include "barely significant" and "slightly significant". The phrase is more frequently seen in scientific and academic contexts than in general or informal communication. Therefore, use "marginally significant" with caution and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Barely significant

Indicates a result that is only just significant, close to the threshold of statistical significance.

Slightly significant

Suggests a small degree of statistical significance.

Near significance

Highlights that the result is approaching statistical significance but has not quite reached it.

Almost significant

Similar to near significance, emphasizing the proximity to the significance threshold.

Of borderline significance

Indicates a result that falls on the edge of statistical significance.

Weakly significant

Suggests a low level of statistical significance.

Nominally significant

Implies a significance that is only so in name or by a small margin.

Tendentially significant

Indicates a trend towards significance, though not fully achieved.

Substantially insignificant

While being different in meaning, indicates that an effect is not worth attention.

Moderately significant

Indicates a somewhat greater significance compared to marginally significant.

FAQs

How should I interpret a "marginally significant" result?

A "marginally significant" result suggests a possible trend or effect that is not strong enough to be considered statistically conclusive. It indicates the need for further research or a larger sample size to confirm the finding.

What's the difference between "marginally significant" and statistically significant?

Statistically significant results meet a predetermined threshold (e.g., p < 0.05), indicating a low probability of occurring by chance. "Marginally significant" results are close to this threshold but don't quite reach it, suggesting a weaker level of evidence.

When is it appropriate to use the term "marginally significant"?

Use "marginally significant" when reporting results that approach statistical significance but do not meet the conventional threshold. It's often used in exploratory research or when discussing trends that require further investigation.

What are some alternatives to using the phrase "marginally significant"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "barely significant", "slightly significant", or "near significance" to describe a result that is approaching statistical significance.