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

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Get in Between Liminal

When liminal first appeared in written use, it referred to something (such as a physical stimulus) which was just barely perceptible, or just barely capable of eliciting a response. This meaning is still in use today in constructions like "liminal auditory stimuli." The word comes from the noun limen, which refers to the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced. In its most common extended meaning now, it describes a state, place, or condition of transition, as in “the liminal zone between sleep and wakefulness.” The closely related word subliminal means “below a threshold”; it can describe something inadequate to produce a sensation or something operating below a threshold of consciousness.

Examples of liminal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Assembly member finds herself in a bit of a liminal space now, with more than six months to go until the election. —Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2024

The stage is bare, and the oligarch, who played an instrumental role in Vladimir Putin’s rise to power, speaks to us from a liminal space. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin limin-, limen threshold

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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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