a marginal decline in

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a marginal decline in" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a small or slight decrease in a particular metric or measurement. Example: "The report indicated a marginal decline in sales over the last quarter."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

The findings appear to mark a turnaround from the previous survey, which had found a marginal decline in forests.

The Guardian

Photoluminescence measurements have shown a marginal decline in residual stress and significant increase in density of the laser treated coatings.

Surface and Coatings Technology

Males demonstrated higher levels of NK cytolytic activity than females; a marginal decline in activity with age was observed.

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology

Continuing investment in new products across Emap's divisions, mainly in digital development, led to a marginal decline in underlying operating profit to £76.3 million (2010 £78.3 million).

The Guardian

The company put this improvement down to 32% year-on-year growth in digital revenue in the final two months of 2013, along with growth in printing and "other" income substantially offsetting a marginal decline in circulation and print advertising.

The Guardian

Analysts trimmed annual profits forecasts by between 2% and 3% as ABF said it expected a "marginal decline" in profits for the group as a whole this year as a "large reduction" in profits at its sugar business was offset by growth at Primark and its grocery, ingredients and agriculture divisions.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

· Estimates of the disposition of world catch in 1992 record a marginal decline of 0.3percentt in fish for human consumption, following declines of 0.9percentt in 1991 and 1.1percentt in 1990.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Although KLRD1/CD94 mRNAs before GFD were not significantly increased in active CD (P>0.05), there was a marginal decline after GFD in the GFD-oats group.

Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology

It states at a glance, the rise in a number of mappers from 8 to 64 leads to a very marginal decline in classification accuracy.

Journal of Big Data

Though revenues saw a marginal decline of 0.5% in Q4 2018, compared to 2017, for the full year revenue registered a healthy increase of over 5%, driven by higher pricing and lower promotional investments.

Forbes

Breast cancer specimens (T) with unmethylated ID4 promoter exhibited only a marginal decline (FC = 1.1) in ID4 mRNA expression.

BMC Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Combine "a marginal decline in" with specific figures or percentages to give context to the decrease being reported. For example, "The company reported a marginal decline of 0.5% in profits".

Common error

Avoid assuming that "a marginal decline in" automatically indicates a problem. It's crucial to consider the context. The decrease might be within an acceptable range or be offset by other positive factors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a marginal decline in" functions as a descriptive phrase, typically acting as a modifier to a noun. It describes the extent of the reduction, indicating it is slight or insignificant. As Ludwig AI shows, it is commonly used in reports and analyses to describe small decreases.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a marginal decline in" is a descriptive phrase used to indicate a slight or insignificant decrease. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically correct and usable in formal and neutral contexts. Its register spans news, business, and scientific domains, marking it as versatile. When writing, use it to accurately represent small decreases without exaggeration. Be careful not to misinterpret its significance, as the decline could be within acceptable ranges or offset by other factors. Related phrases include a slight decrease in, a small drop in, and a minor reduction in. Its infrequent usage suggests a certain level of formality and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a slight decrease in

Changes the word "decline" to "decrease" and "marginal" to "slight" maintaining the original meaning.

a marginal fall in

Swaps "decline" with "fall", changing the wording while preserving the meaning.

a small drop in

Substitutes "marginal decline" with "small drop", providing a more informal synonym.

a minor reduction in

Replaces "decline" with "reduction" and "marginal" with "minor", keeping a formal tone.

a negligible decrease in

Uses "negligible" to emphasize the insignificance of the decline.

a slight downturn in

Replaces "decline" with "downturn", giving a more business-oriented feel.

a modest decrease in

Replaces "marginal" with "modest", suggesting a slightly larger but still small decrease.

a small dip in

Uses the word "dip" to indicate a temporary and slight decline.

a minimal reduction in

Emphasizes the small extent of the reduction by using "minimal".

a trivial decrease in

Highlights that the decrease is of little importance.

FAQs

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

You can use "a marginal decline in" to describe a slight decrease in something. For example: "The report indicated "a marginal decline in" sales this quarter".

What's a good alternative to "a marginal decline in"?

Alternatives include phrases like "a slight decrease in", "a small drop in", or "a minor reduction in" depending on the context.

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

Yes, "a marginal decline in" is suitable for formal writing, especially when you need to precisely describe a small decrease without exaggerating it. However, it is necessary to check the writing tone; if it is an informal one, using a small drop in can be more suitable.

What does "marginal" mean in the context of "a marginal decline in"?

In this context, "marginal" means small, slight, or insignificant. It emphasizes that the decline is not substantial or dramatic.