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

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

Weddings are like airports–liminal spaces that exist out of time and definable space. —Bobby Finger june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026

There are likely more of us than ever before stuck in this liminal state, trying to figure out when to stop IVF. —Heather Grossmann, Parents, 16 June 2026

This analysis connects the obsession with liminal spaces to many of Gen Zers’ experience coming of age during Covid-19. —Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 12 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