marginal success

USAGE SUMMARY

'marginal success' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that something only achieved a small amount of success. For example: "The product's launch was met with only a marginal success, leading to the eventual discontinuation of the line."

✓ Grammatically correct

Forbes

Encyclopedia Britannica

Cornell University

The Washington Post

The New York Times

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The New Yorker

Britannica

International Journal of Immunopharmacology

Energy

Plant Gene

Journal of Aging Studies

Biomaterials

TechCrunch

Huffington Post

Vice

Los Angeles Times

Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy

Science Magazine

HuffPost

BMC Cancer

Breast Cancer Research

Fluids and Barriers of the CNS

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Critical Care

BMC Medical Research Methodology

British Journal of Cancer

Columbia University

The Guardian

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

The New Schools Fund has had marginal success, starting some successful charter programs but struggling with "turnaround" schools.

Forbes

The undercapitalized bank enjoyed only marginal success, however.

Encyclopedia Britannica

To overcome this some producers have tried using PVC piping as bedding savers with marginal success.

Cornell University

But it's unclear if they ever had more than marginal success.

The Washington Post

In addition, an advocacy organization aligned with Mr. Sanders, Our Revolution, has had only marginal success.

The New York Times

Although they have had only marginal success so far, it hasn't been for lack of trying.

The New York Times

Last year, "Shark Tank" was a marginal success on Sunday night.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

4 human-written examples

"We had only marginal successes," said Mr. Wechsler, who led the new team in 1998 and 1999.

The New York Times

Other than Unix, most of the products were at best marginal successes and generally soon cancelled.

The Guardian - Tech

Many attempts at systematic monitoring of the olfactory code have seen marginal successes for a number of reasons.

Columbia University

But she remained a firm believer in the institution of marriage, and while in Congress, she fought long and hard--though with only marginal success--to defeat what she called the "marriage penalty" in the U.S. income tax system.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using synonyms like "modest success" or "limited success" to fine-tune the nuance of your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "marginal success" when the outcome was clearly a failure or a significant achievement. Reserve it for situations where there was some positive result, but it was not substantial.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "marginal success" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "marginal" modifies the noun "success". It describes the quality or degree of the success achieved. Ludwig indicates that this phrase is grammatically correct and frequently used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Science

25%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Academia

6%

Wiki

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "marginal success" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed expression to denote a limited degree of achievement. According to Ludwig, this phrase is perfectly valid for its intended use. It functions as a noun phrase where "marginal" modifies "success", conveying that something was only partially successful. Predominantly found in News & Media and Scientific contexts, it maintains a neutral register suitable for formal communications. When considering alternatives, "modest success" or "limited success" can offer a similar meaning. To avoid common errors, ensure that the phrase is used when some degree of success was achieved but not overstate the impact. Therefore, "marginal success" is most suited when precision matters but you want to express some degree of uncertainty.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

modest success

Implies a slightly higher degree of accomplishment than "marginal success", suggesting a small but noticeable positive outcome.

limited success

Highlights the constraints and boundaries of the achievement, emphasizing that success was not widespread or comprehensive.

slight success

Emphasizes the small scale of the achievement, suggesting a minimal impact or effect.

minor success

Indicates that the accomplishment was relatively unimportant or insignificant.

incremental success

Focuses on the gradual nature of the achievement, implying that progress was slow and steady but not substantial.

negligible success

Indicates that the level of achievement was so small as to be almost unnoticeable or insignificant.

poor success

Suggests that the outcome was far from ideal, with significant shortcomings and failures.

inconclusive success

Suggests that the outcomes are not definitive or clear, leaving the degree of success uncertain.

qualified success

Success is dependent on a specific set of conditions or criteria being met.

relative success

Achievement is being compared to something else, implying that something has to be factored as a comparison.

FAQs

What does "marginal success" mean?

The phrase "marginal success" indicates a small or limited degree of achievement. It implies that something was somewhat successful, but not to a significant extent.

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

You can use "marginal success" to describe a project, initiative, or effort that yielded some positive results, but not as much as expected. For example, "The marketing campaign achieved only "modest success" due to budget constraints."

What are some alternatives to "marginal success"?

Alternatives to "marginal success" include phrases like "limited success", "slight success", or "minor success". The best choice depends on the specific context and the nuance you wish to convey.

Is "marginal success" a negative or positive expression?

"Marginal success" is a neutral expression, but it leans slightly towards the negative side. While it acknowledges some achievement, it also highlights the limitations and the fact that the outcome was not fully satisfactory. It's less negative than "failure" but less positive than "great success."