marginally greater

USAGE SUMMARY

"marginally greater" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it in a context where something is a small amount greater than something else, or when something is only slightly greater than something else. For example, "The study found that the satisfaction level for the new product was only marginally greater than the existing product."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He is the one with marginally greater experience and pedigree.

The Guardian - Sport

Face up to Cairo: its glories are marginally greater than its vexations.

The Economist

So much of the ugliness that transpires in her books could be prevented by a marginally greater degree of psychological caution.

The New York Times - Magazine

Tonga will almost certainly not beat Argentina and the likelihood of them getting close to the All Blacks is marginally greater than that of London Welsh winning the Premiership.

The Guardian - Sport

More specifically, JJAC advocates note that the number of Jews driven from their homes between 1948 and 1968 is marginally greater than the number of Palestinian Arabs displaced during the creation of the state of Israel.

The Guardian - Opinion

The gun was laid horizontally on a trestle table without provision for adjusting elevation or absorbing recoil a tribute to its modest power, which would have been only marginally greater than that of a large crossbow.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Preeclampsia in female donors may also be marginally greater than in those with 2 kidneys.

Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease

We observed that DSR of nests was marginally greater for birds that nested closer to roads.

Ecological Processes

Compared with the Control group, the Nightmare group had longer N2 sleep latency and a marginally greater %N2 sleep.

Sleep Medicine

Furthermore, the frequency of washes with live tortoises and their sign was marginally greater in closed than open wash zones.

Journal of Environmental Management

This modification involves a marginally greater number of steps leading to a slight increase in computation time.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "marginally greater" when you want to indicate a small difference that is still worth noting. For example, 'The new software performed marginally greater than the old version in user satisfaction.'

Common error

Avoid using "marginally greater" if the difference is substantial or significant. Choose a stronger phrase if the difference is not marginal, such as 'significantly greater' or 'considerably larger'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "marginally greater" functions as a comparative adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate that it is slightly larger or more significant than something else. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable form.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

73%

News & Media

18%

Encyclopedias

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "marginally greater" is a valuable tool for expressing small differences with precision. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically sound and widely used across various fields, especially in scientific and formal contexts. While it indicates an increase, it's crucial to reserve it for instances where the difference is indeed slight to avoid overstatement. Remember, alternatives like "slightly larger" or "somewhat bigger" can be used to add nuance to your writing, but the key is to match the phrase's intensity with the actual difference being described.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slightly larger

Focuses on the size difference.

somewhat bigger

Emphasizes a small increase in size.

a little bigger

Simple and direct way to indicate a small size increase.

minimally increased

Highlights the minimal nature of the increase.

a bit more

Informal way to express a small increase.

fractionally larger

Suggests the increase is measurable but very small.

slightly exceeds

Expresses that something surpasses a limit by a small amount.

a shade higher

Implies a very subtle difference.

inappreciably higher

Emphasizes the almost unnoticeable increase.

only just above

Highlights that something barely exceeds a certain point.

FAQs

How can I use "marginally greater" in a sentence?

Use "marginally greater" to describe a small or slight increase. For instance, "The new engine's efficiency was "marginally greater" than its predecessor's".

What are some alternatives to "marginally greater"?

You can use alternatives like "slightly larger", "somewhat bigger", or "a bit more" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "marginally greater" in formal writing?

Yes, "marginally greater" is suitable for formal writing, especially when precision is needed to describe a slight difference or improvement.

What's the difference between "marginally greater" and "significantly greater"?

"Marginally greater" indicates a small difference, while "significantly greater" indicates a notable and important difference. The choice depends on the magnitude of the difference you are describing.