a marginal drop

USAGE SUMMARY

"a marginal drop" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It can be used to describe a small decrease. For example, "Sales decreased last month, but only by a marginal drop."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

We should also see a marginal drop in demand for, say, yachts.

The New Yorker

Bauer Consumer Media's Grazia managed a flat performance year on year, and a marginal drop of 0.4% period on period, with sales of 228,770.

The Guardian

Two years ago, the state enacted a deregulation plan that has brought consumers a marginal drop in utility costs, but offered power suppliers huge savings on debt run up by building inefficient nuclear and coal-fired plants in the 1970's and 80's.

The New York Times

The samples, after plasma treatment, showed only a marginal drop in their mechanical properties.

Surface and Coatings Technology

Yet a marginal drop in the rate of reproduction and a marginal increase in the rate of mortality can put the species on a path to extinction just as surely as you pay taxes.

Huffington Post

One of these side effects is a decrease in sexual pleasure, and as Friedman predicted, this minor loss of enjoyment correlated with a marginal drop in reported feelings of sadness after sex.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

k-means algorithm used by fine segmentation module of the proposed technique incorrectly classifies a small number of epidermis pixels as dermis pixels, which results in the marginal drop in sensitivity.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

The marginal drop in pay comes despite some eye-watering payouts for the three highest-paid CEOs – Masimo Corporation's Joe Kiani, Timothy Walbert of Horizon Pharma and Gamco Investors' Mario Gabelli – who took home nearly $300m between them, according to the AFL-CIO.

The Guardian

The marginal drop in reservoir pressure against cumulative oil production of 0.85MMm3 indicates that the reservoir is operating under active water drive.

Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology

The marginal drop in the bond strength of the coated rebar with the concrete structure may be due to the higher 'P' content which is expected to provide improved surface smoothness.

Surface and Coatings Technology

In the U.S. the dip was far more marginal — dropping from 56percentto54percentr cent.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a marginal drop" when you want to emphasize that a decrease is small or insignificant. It's suitable for both formal and informal contexts, but avoid overuse to maintain impact.

Common error

Avoid using "a marginal drop" to describe decreases that have a substantial impact. Reserve it for truly minor changes to maintain credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a marginal drop" functions as a noun phrase, where 'marginal' modifies 'drop', indicating the extent or degree of the decrease. As stated by Ludwig AI, it is a correct and usable phrase for describing a small decrease.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

43%

Encyclopedias

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a marginal drop" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that denotes a small or insignificant decrease. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for describing minor reductions across various contexts. While not exceedingly common, the phrase finds consistent use in news, scientific publications, and encyclopedic writing. When using the phrase, be mindful of overstating the significance of the decrease and opt for alternative phrasing when more substantial changes occur.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a slight decrease

Replaces "drop" with "decrease" and "marginal" with "slight", emphasizing a minor reduction.

a minor reduction

Substitutes both adjectives and nouns, conveying the same core meaning with alternative vocabulary.

a small decline

Uses "small" instead of "marginal" and "decline" in place of "drop", suggesting a limited downturn.

a negligible decrease

Emphasizes the insignificance of the reduction by using "negligible".

a modest fall

Replaces "marginal" with "modest" and "drop" with "fall", indicating a limited decline.

a tiny dip

Uses more informal terms, implying a very small and temporary reduction.

a fractional decrease

Highlights the very small, almost immeasurable nature of the decrease.

a minimal decline

Suggests the decline is as small as it can possibly be.

a trivial reduction

Indicates that the reduction is unimportant or insignificant.

a shade of difference

Moves further from the original by implying a barely perceptible change, not necessarily a decrease.

FAQs

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

You can use "a marginal drop" to describe a slight decrease. For example, "There was "a marginal drop" in sales this quarter compared to last quarter."

What are some synonyms for "a marginal drop"?

Some synonyms for "a marginal drop" include "a slight decrease", "a minor reduction", or "a small decline".

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

Yes, "a marginal drop" is generally appropriate for formal writing. It clearly communicates a small decrease without being overly informal. However, consider more precise language if the exact amount of the decrease is important.

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

"A marginal drop" indicates a small, often unimportant decrease, while "a significant drop" implies a large, noticeable decrease. Choosing the right phrase depends on the magnitude of the change you're describing.