a marginal victory

USAGE SUMMARY

"a marginal victory" is correct and usable in standard written English.
You can use it when you are referring to a small or narrow victory. For example: "The election was close, but she managed to win by a marginal victory of only a few hundred votes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Murray could claim a marginal victory.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Her 1% marginal victory, a near-tie, was the noteworthy takeaway, while NOT EVEN MENTIONING wins 10 to 20 times times larger for Bernie in Minnesota, Colorado and Oklahoma.

Huffington Post

This optimism, amid a general sense that the country had entered the final stretch in its quest to free itself from the supervision of its lenders, produced a result in May's European elections whereby the leftist "SYRIZA" party's marginal victory (3,8%) did not pose a risk to the optimism displayed by Greece's international supporters.

Huffington Post

If new voter ID laws survive legal challenges in those Republican-controlled battleground states, a marginal Romney victory would powerfully reinforce the belief on the left that some lawfully registered voters were denied the right to exercise their franchise.

The New York Times

The highest jurisdiction of the country effectively cancelled the marginal victory that the Green Party candidate Alexander Van der Bellen had narrowly won.

Huffington Post

The effort to change is in need of much greater foresight and planning than can be brought to bear in one marginal victory for Democrats.

Huffington Post

After two referendums, the first in 1972 and the second in 1994, which both ended in marginal victories for the no side, Norway has negotiated a semi-detached relationship with the EU through its membership of the European Economic Area.

The Guardian

And winning marginal victories elsewhere doesn't count for much.

The Guardian - Opinion

They were not interested in marginal victories, only the absolute will do".

The Guardian

Norway's current arrangement is the outcome of two popular referendums, the first in 1972 and the second in 1994, which both ended in marginal victories for the no side.

The Guardian - Opinion

Sooner or later the Inter of Herrera, the Inter of catenaccio, of negative football, of marginal victories, had to pay for their refusal to play entertaining football".

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a marginal victory" when you want to emphasize that the win was by a small amount or degree. It's particularly effective when the outcome was uncertain until the very end.

Common error

Avoid using "a marginal victory" when the win was decisive or overwhelming. The term 'marginal' implies a small difference, so it would be inaccurate to describe a landslide victory as "a marginal victory".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a marginal victory" functions as a noun phrase, where 'marginal' modifies 'victory', indicating the extent or degree of the win. Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is used correctly in standard written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a marginal victory" is a grammatically sound and appropriate phrase for describing a win achieved by a small margin. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correctly used in standard written English. While not extremely common, it appears frequently in news and media contexts. When using this phrase, be sure to emphasize the narrowness of the win. If a more decisive or overwhelming victory is intended, consider alternative phrases such as "a clear victory" or "a resounding triumph".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a narrow win

Focuses on the closeness of the victory, emphasizing the small difference in scores or results.

a slim triumph

Highlights the delicacy of the win, implying it was achieved by a small margin.

a close victory

Emphasizes the tight competition and near-even outcome of the contest.

a slight success

Shifts the focus to the achievement aspect, minimizing the scale of the victory.

a hairline victory

Uses a metaphor to convey how extremely close the victory was, almost imperceptible.

an edge-of-the-seat win

Highlights the excitement and tension associated with such a close victory.

a hard-fought victory

Highlights effort required, but lacks the sense of small margin.

a pyrrhic victory

Implies a victory that comes at a great cost, making the triumph almost not worthwhile.

a nominal victory

Focuses on the victory being one in name only, possibly lacking substantial benefits.

a qualified victory

Indicates that the victory is not absolute or complete, perhaps with conditions or limitations attached.

FAQs

What does "a marginal victory" mean?

It describes a win that is achieved by a very small amount or degree. The term 'marginal' suggests that the difference between winning and losing was minimal.

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

Example: "Despite the team's struggles, they managed to secure "a marginal victory" in the final seconds of the game."

What are some synonyms for "a marginal victory"?

You can use alternatives such as "a narrow win", "a slim triumph", or "a close victory" to express a similar meaning.

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

Yes, "a marginal victory" is suitable for formal writing, especially in contexts such as news reports, academic papers, and business analyses, where accuracy and nuance are important.