It means minimum distance. A key feature is margin is it can collapse. So if paragraphs have 1rem between them, and headings have 2rem above and 1rem below, you

It means minimum distance. A key feature is margin is it can collapse. So if paragraphs have 1rem between them, and headings have 2rem above and 1rem below, you won’t wind up with 3rem between the paragraph and the following heading. Padding adds together, and space mechanisms seem like overkill when css can already do the thing in a straightforward way. What’s befuddling to me about these threads is that they keep trying to make an absolute case. It’s true, I use margin less now that I have grid gap, but there’s still a place for it.