liminal

adjective

lim·​i·​nal ˈli-mə-nᵊl How to pronounce liminal (audio)
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 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 In the liminal space of early teenhood—a time of feeling awkward, misunderstood, and largely powerless—having a job can grant you dignity. Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 Patrick seems to exist in a liminal space between the natural and the supernatural, legend and fact. Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 Through an embodied camera eye that moves freely in the in-between place that is an alley connecting two streets, Fortune evokes a sense of magical realism and offers texture to the meditation on the Chinese American identity, which can also be characterized as a liminal space. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Both films deal with liminal spaces, as the couples connect in crowded railway stations, the Staten Island Ferry, and lunch halls. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Superposition and entangled particles, the observer effect and liminal space are discussed and enacted, metaphorically and otherwise; there is even a cat that is alive and dead. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 For Iowa, the team and the state, Clark’s maybe-final season exists in a kind of liminal space. Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 Another theme buried within Jonah is how our repressed memories are most likely to come up in generic liminal spaces. Vulture, 2 Feb. 2024 Turns out our brains can stay active for a period of time during that liminal state between life and death. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 15 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'liminal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin limin-, limen threshold

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of liminal was in 1875

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Dictionary Entries Near liminal

Cite this Entry

“Liminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liminal. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

liminal

adjective
lim·​i·​nal ˈlim-ən-ᵊl How to pronounce liminal (audio)
: of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold : barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response
liminal visual stimuli

More from Merriam-Webster on liminal

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