liminal

adjective

lim·​i·​nal ˈli-mə-nᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold : barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response

liminal visual stimuli

2

: of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : in-between, transitional

… in the liminal state between life and death.

—Deborah Jowitt

liminality

ˌli-mə-ˈna-lə-tē 

noun

plural liminalities

The market, standing between the sacred and secular, the mundane and exotic, and the local and global, has always been a place of liminality …

—Jon Goss

Did you know?

Get in Between Liminal

Liminal is a word for the in-between. It describes states, times, spaces, etc., that exist at a point of change—a metaphorical threshold—as in “the liminal zone between sleep and wakefulness.” The idea of a threshold is at the word’s root; it comes from Latin limen, meaning “threshold.” In technical use liminal means “barely perceptible” or “barely capable of eliciting a response,” and it has a familiar partner with a related meaning: subliminal can mean “inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception,” though it more often means “existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness.” Limen has served as the basis for a number of other English words, including eliminate (“to cast out”), sublime (“lofty in conception or expression”), preliminary (“introductory”), and the woefully underused postliminary (“subsequent”).

Examples of liminal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The film follows a furniture store operator (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who discovers an endless array of liminal spaces in the store’s basement. — Brent Lang, Variety, 29 June 2026

The app has become a quintessential cog in the dating machine—especially in those liminal stages, the flirtations and the breakups. — Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

For a less crowded and more economical trip, try visiting in one of the liminal seasons, fall or spring. — Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026

The series of videos was inspired by a meme created on 4chan in 2019, which has seen internet users uploading images of eerie, liminal spaces. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin limin-, limen threshold

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for liminal

• criminal
• noncriminal
• subliminal

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Medical Definition

liminal

adjective

lim·​i·​nal ˈlim-ən-ᵊl 

: of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold : barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response

liminal visual stimuli