marginality

This term describes a condition of peripheral existence, whether spatial or social. In sociological contexts, it carries a heavy connotation of systemic exclusion and powerlessness, describing the lived experience of those pushed to the fringes of a dominant culture or economy.

When used geographically, the word shifts toward a neutral description of physical location, referring to the proximity to a boundary or edge. Because it describes an abstract state or quality, it is treated as an uncountable mass noun and does not take a plural form in standard usage.