a marginal contrast

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a marginal contrast" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a slight or minor difference between two things or concepts. Example: "The study revealed a marginal contrast in the performance of the two groups, indicating that one group performed slightly better than the other."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

There was a marginal contrast effect in the mass, so the possibility of a postoperative abscess or a carcinoma that had invaded the gallbladder was considered.

Surgical Case Reports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

As shown in Fig. 3, while the most frequent mental activity appeared to be cognition in both corpora and while there was only marginal contrast in the patients' engagement in desideration, oncology patients and interview patients appeared to be different in their activities of perception and emotion.

Functional Linguistics

Angle contrast US enhances the marginal contrast of the tendon and provides additional diagnostic information compared to standard US on the proximal aspect of the equine suspensory ligament [ 7].

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

Contrast-enhanced US techniques (both standard and angled) significantly increased the marginal contrast of the anatomical structures within the equine digital flexor tendon sheath in our model, allowing ultrasonographic identification of surgically-induced longitudinal lesions in a significantly higher proportion of cases compared to standard and angle US.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

The radiological findings in LM varied from hypodense lesions with low marginal contrast-enhancement to disseminated calcified lesions.

Cancer Imaging

The most common CT finding in early stage LM was hyperarterialised lesion with marginal contrast-enhancement in the portal venous phase as well as hyperechogenic appearance in US which mainly mimic the classic haemangioma.

Cancer Imaging

This parameter is a natural, physical proxy for the site amplification (considering also that density contrast plays only a marginal role in site amplification compared to velocity contrast).

Earth, Planets and Space

Under field conditions, the inoculant R. irregularis MUCL 41833 was detected at a very low level (between 10−5 and 10−7 ng/ ng total DNA) in a marginal number of plants, in contrast to native R. irregularis strains that were detected at higher levels (between 10−4 and 10−6 ng/ ng total DNA) in all plants of the three cultivars.

Applied Soil Ecology

In contrast, only a marginal rescue effect of pyruvate observed in C and _3 lines (with unchanged PMCA2 expression) suggested the contribution of glycolysis to ATP generation.

BioMed Research International

In contrast, only a marginal impact on the inverse association between sTfR-to-ferritin ratio and type 2 diabetes was observed in models adjusting for biomarkers of inflammation, hepatic fat accumulation, insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia.

Diabetologia

In contrast, only a marginal (1.2-fold) increase in DXPS gene expression was observed after 6 h of salt or SOR treatment, and these levels then remained constant for 24 h.

BMC Plant Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a marginal contrast" to describe differences that are small but potentially significant, especially in technical or analytical contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "a marginal contrast" when the difference is actually substantial. Using it in such cases can mislead your audience.

Linguistic Context

Adjectival phrase modifying a noun. "A marginal contrast" functions as an adjective phrase, with "marginal" modifying the noun "contrast". The phrase describes the nature or degree of the contrast being discussed. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

20%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a marginal contrast" is used to describe a slight or minor difference between two things. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's correctness and usability in written English. It is most commonly found in scientific and academic contexts, used to denote subtle variations in data or observations. While grammatically sound, it’s important to ensure the difference you're describing is indeed small, avoiding overstatement. Alternatives include "a slight difference" or "a minor distinction" which can be used interchangeably depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a slight difference

This alternative replaces "marginal contrast" with more common and simpler terms, focusing on the small degree of difference.

a minor distinction

This option emphasizes the small degree of separation or differentiation between two things.

a subtle variation

This highlights the understated or delicate nature of the difference.

a negligible difference

This suggests that the difference is so small as to be almost unimportant.

a barely perceptible difference

This emphasizes how difficult it is to notice the difference.

a faint distinction

This conveys that the distinction is weak and not very clear.

a trivial contrast

This suggests that the contrast is insignificant and not worth considering.

a minimal divergence

This highlights the small degree to which things are moving apart or differing.

a slim difference

This uses a more informal word to indicate the smallness of the difference.

a nuanced contrast

This option emphasizes that the contrast might be complex but is still subtle.

FAQs

How can I use "a marginal contrast" in a sentence?

Use "a marginal contrast" to describe a slight or minor difference. For example, "The study revealed "a marginal contrast" in the performance of the two groups."

What phrases are similar to "a marginal contrast"?

You can use alternatives like "a slight difference", "a minor distinction", or "a subtle variation" depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "a marginal contrast" in formal writing?

Yes, "a marginal contrast" is appropriate for formal writing, especially in academic or technical contexts where precision is important. However, ensure that the contrast is indeed marginal and not substantial.

What's the difference between "a marginal contrast" and "a significant contrast"?

"A marginal contrast" indicates a small, possibly negligible difference, while "a significant contrast" suggests a noticeable and important difference. Choose the phrase that accurately reflects the magnitude of the difference you are describing.