marginal progress

USAGE SUMMARY

"marginal progress" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
For example, you could write: "Despite our best efforts, our project has achieved only marginal progress over the last month."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

There does seem to be some marginal progress on what to do about Greece.

The New York Times

In the meantime, Netanyahu has all but given up on making even marginal progress on the Palestinian question.

The New Yorker

Mr. Levy said that while some of the schools had improved, "marginal progress is not what we're after".

The New York Times

No matter how hard you work on certain weaknesses, the logic goes, chances are you'll make only marginal progress.

Harvard Business Review

The speaker said the group was making marginal progress but at its current pace would brush up against the August deadline.

The New York Times

Many of Mr Hussein's internal and external enemies share their misgivings.Meanwhile, America seems to be making only marginal progress in the Security Council.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

One area where the Bush administration did make an initial and marginal degree of progress was in the 2002 agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear arsenals.

The Guardian - Opinion

"We're not looking to make marginal or incremental progress here," said Melody C. Barnes, the president's domestic policy adviser, who was addressing the annual conference of the Independent Sector, a nonprofit trade association.

The New York Times

It's February: Do You Know Where Your Resolutions Are? I've felt so good about the marginal, barely-measurable progress I've made in one month that I already have a 2014 "wish list" started.

HuffPost

"Nothing's changed from the government," scoffed Vibhuti Patel, the head of the Economics Department at the SNDT Women's College in Mumbai, who calls government assistance "meager" and Muslims' progress "marginal". The government of Maharashtra commissioned Patel and her colleagues to conduct a socio-economic profile of Muslims in the state last March.

HuffPost

There will be increasing pressure on some marginal lands, but progress in research and better off-farm employment opportunities seem likely to lead to the abandonment and natural recovery of some marginal lands in Asia and Latin America.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "marginal progress" to temper expectations, particularly when discussing long-term projects or complex problems where significant breakthroughs are unlikely in the short term.

Common error

Avoid using "marginal progress" when describing substantial advancements. Overstating the limited nature of the progress can undermine the actual achievements and create a misleading impression.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "marginal progress" functions as a descriptor, specifically an adjective ("marginal") modifying a noun ("progress"). It serves to qualify the extent or degree of advancement, indicating that the progress made is limited or not substantial. As Ludwig AI notes, this phrase is generally considered grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

34%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

6%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "marginal progress" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that signifies limited advancement or headway. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is valid and usable in written English. Its function is descriptive, typically employed to qualify the extent of progress in various contexts. It is most commonly found in news, scientific, and formal business settings, suggesting a professional or neutral tone. While many alternative phrases exist – such as "slight advancement" and "limited headway" – "marginal progress" remains a concise and effective way to convey the idea of restrained or incremental improvement. When employing this phrase, ensure the context is clear and the degree of advancement is accurately represented.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slight advancement

Uses "advancement" instead of "progress" and "slight" instead of "marginal", suggesting a similar degree of forward movement.

limited headway

Replaces "progress" with "headway" and "marginal" with "limited", conveying a similar sense of restricted advancement.

modest gains

Substitutes "progress" with "gains" and "marginal" with "modest", indicating small positive results.

minor improvement

Employs "improvement" instead of "progress" and "minor" instead of "marginal", suggesting a slight positive change.

small steps forward

Uses a more descriptive phrase to convey the idea of progress in small increments.

gradual development

Replaces "progress" with "development" and "marginal" with "gradual", emphasizing a slow and incremental advancement.

incremental advancement

Uses "advancement" instead of "progress" and "incremental" instead of "marginal", stressing the step-by-step nature of the progress.

restricted growth

Focuses on the limitation of growth rather than progress, highlighting the constrained nature of the advancement.

subtle progression

Emphasizes the understated nature of the progress, using "subtle" to convey a less noticeable advancement.

barely perceptible progress

Highlights how insignificant the progress is, suggesting that it is hard to notice.

FAQs

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

You can use "marginal progress" to describe situations where there has been some advancement, but it is limited or not very significant. For instance, "Despite the new policies, we've only seen "marginal progress" in reducing poverty rates".

What's a good alternative to "marginal progress"?

Alternatives to "marginal progress" include "slight advancement", "limited headway", or "modest gains". The best choice depends on the specific context and the nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "marginal progress" or "significant progress"?

The choice between "marginal progress" and "significant progress" depends entirely on the situation. Use "marginal progress" when the advancement is small or limited, and "significant progress" when the advancement is substantial and noteworthy. Using the correct term ensures accurate communication.

What does "marginal progress" imply about future outcomes?

"Marginal progress" suggests that while there has been some forward movement, substantial improvements may still be a long way off. It can imply that current strategies may need to be reevaluated or that more effort is required to achieve meaningful results.