marginal relevance

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "marginal relevance" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that has a slight or minimal importance or connection to a particular topic or issue. Example: "The study found that the data presented had only marginal relevance to the overall conclusions drawn."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

In our previous study [ 5], we identified 20 highly significant colon cancer relevant genes based on a marginal relevance index that measured their separate contribution to the gene forest for classification.

BMC Systems Biology

"This is especially true here because the screenshots, even if not entirely extraneous to the dispute, are of barely marginal relevance".

The New Yorker

Mr Crist's announced preferences, in particular, are of marginal relevance since he decided to leave the Republican Party; as the odyssey of Arlen Specter over the past year has made clear, candidates' stances on issues are determined almost entirely by political structures and incentives, and can be reversed with shocking rapidity when they leave a party.

The Economist

Ms. Sandberg's desire to teach women "to negotiate so they get paid more" has only marginal relevance to the millions of low-paid women in the United States and Britain who have very slim prospects of increasing their pay packets from the minimum wage that people employed in the five C's — caring, cashiering, catering, cleaning and clerical work — can expect.

The New York Times

Normally the character of an academic is of marginal relevance to his or her work.

SEP

Finally, we also define a notion of result diversity in the setting of RDF data and provide mechanisms to diversify RDF search results using Maximal Marginal Relevance.

Journal of Web Semantics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

The marked increase in sample size of RCTs provides statistical power to detect treatment differences between arms that are statistically significant but of marginal clinical relevance.

British Journal of Cancer

Calpain-9 expression was not significantly associated with calpain-1 expression (r = 0.04, P = 0.283); but was significantly associated with calpastatin expression (r = 0.13, P < 0.001) and calpain-2 expression (r = -0.12, P = 0.001), although with marginal biological relevance.

BMC Cancer

Within this scheme, a new dimensionality reduction algorithm called Relevance Marginal Fisher Analysis (RMFA) is proposed.

Signal Processing

There is a significant disparity in results regarding the changes induced by BD as well as the use of marginal livers, and their relevance in LT.

Cell Death and Disease

6. Relevance is relevant.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "marginal relevance", ensure that the context clearly indicates what the subject is only slightly relevant to, avoiding ambiguity for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "marginal relevance" when the subject is completely irrelevant; use stronger terms like "irrelevant" or "inapplicable" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "marginal relevance" functions primarily as a modifier to describe the degree of connection or importance something has to a particular subject. As Ludwig AI points out, it indicates a slight or minimal connection. The examples demonstrate its use in academic, news, and scientific contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

43%

Encyclopedias

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "marginal relevance" is a phrase used to describe something with a slight or minimal degree of importance or connection. Ludwig AI analysis confirms that it's grammatically correct and commonly employed, appearing in contexts ranging from science to news media. While not strictly formal, it is suitable for professional and academic writing when conveying a limited degree of connection is crucial. Alternatives like "slight relevance" or "minor relevance" may be considered for stylistic variation. When using the phrase, clarity is essential to avoid misinterpreting the degree of connection being conveyed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Minor relevance

Replaces "marginal" with "minor" to denote a minimal degree of significance.

Small relevance

Replaces "marginal" with "small", directly indicating a reduced degree of significance.

Slight relevance

Uses "slight" instead of "marginal" to denote a minimal degree of connection or importance.

Modest relevance

Uses the adjective "modest" instead of "marginal" to indicate a limited degree of importance.

Few relevance

Expresses reduced importance, using the quantifier "few" to express lower quantity or value.

Marginal suitability

Replaces relevance with suitability, shifting the focus to appropriateness rather than importance.

Peripheral relevance

Uses "peripheral" to suggest that something is only tangentially related or important.

Marginal adequacy

Replaces relevance with adequacy, shifting the focus to acceptability rather than importance.

Marginal interest

Substitutes relevance with interest, implying a low level of public or personal engagement.

Marginal usefulness

Substitutes relevance with usefulness, emphasizing the limited practical value.

FAQs

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

You can use "marginal relevance" to describe something that has a slight or minimal importance or connection to a particular topic or issue. For example, "The data presented had only marginal relevance to the conclusions drawn."

What phrases can I use instead of "marginal relevance"?

Alternatives to "marginal relevance" include phrases like "slight relevance", "minor relevance", or "limited relevance", depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "marginal relevance" in formal writing?

Yes, "marginal relevance" is appropriate for formal writing when you need to convey that something has a small degree of importance or connection to the topic at hand. Ensure the context is clear to avoid ambiguity.

What's the difference between "marginal relevance" and "incidental relevance"?

"Marginal relevance" suggests something has a small degree of connection to the main topic, while "incidental relevance" implies the connection is accidental or unintentional.