threshold

noun thresh·old \ ˈthresh-ˌhōld , ˈthre-ˌshōld \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Examples: threshold in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of threshold

1 : the plank, stone, or piece of timber that lies under a door : sill

2 a : gate, door

b (1) : end, boundary; specifically : the end of a runway

(2) : the place or point of entering or beginning : outset

on the threshold of a new age

3 a : the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced

has a high threshold for pain

b : a level, point, or value above which something is true or will take place and below which it is not or will not

See threshold defined for English-language learners

See threshold defined for kids

threshold was our Word of the Day on 06/23/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of threshold in a Sentence

… we still hadn't grasped that we had crossed a threshold where it no longer mattered what passport you carried, that you were young and loved, … or that you were a noncombatant. —Paul Salopek, National Geographic, April 2008
As we speak, the very worst of humanity is on the threshold of acquiring the most powerful weapons in history—this is a fear and a consideration to be taken very seriously. —Charles Krauthammer, New Republic, 29 Apr. 2002
We thought that we were on the threshold of an age of space travel. But the greatest impact of the trip to the moon was on how we view the Earth. —Suzannah Lessard, Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2001
He stepped across the threshold.
If your income rises above a certain threshold, your tax rate also rises.

Recent Examples of threshold from the Web

The software set a threshold: When an officer received three citizen complaints in a quarter or six in a year, the software would alert supervisors.

— holly v. hays, Indianapolis Star, "8 complaints, 2 lawsuits, 1 shooting: Why one officer didn’t draw more IMPD scrutiny," 8 June 2018
Such standards force distributors to keep the average carbon intensity of petrol below a certain threshold, and therefore to offset dirty fuels with clean ones—and none is cleaner than Carbon Engineering’s.

— The Economist, "Extracting carbon dioxide from the air is possible. But at what cost?," 7 June 2018
Still, at 34 per hours a week, Walmart’s threshold for full-time work, that amounts to about $19,000 a year — below the federal poverty line for a family of three.

— emily stewart, Vox, "Walmart is paying $20 billion to shareholders. With that money, it could boost wages to over $15.," 25 May 2018
Those standards include specific thresholds, such as having police officers respond to emergencies within a certain amount of time.

— gustavo solis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chula Vista sacrifices library services to beef up public safety," 24 May 2018
The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.

— alysha tsuji, For The Win, "7 books LeBron has read in playoffs since 2012," 23 May 2018
This threshold, along with the more recent 1.5 C target, has since become the center point of most carbon budget estimates.

— chelsea harvey, Scientific American, "How the “Carbon Budget” Is Causing Problems," 22 May 2018
On the other hand, came the counterargument, adding Machado might push the Dodgers over the luxury-tax threshold, which could hinder their ability to chase other big-money stars this offseason.

— alex putterman, The Atlantic, "The Long Shadow of MLB's Next Free-Agent Class," 20 May 2018
None of those who gave $200 or more, a threshold that requires public disclosure in FEC filings, were from Arizona.

— ronald j. hansen, azcentral, "Before allegedly setting up scam PACs, William Tierney was active in Arizona GOP politics," 19 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'threshold.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The earliest known use of "threshold" in the English language is from Alfred the Great's Old English translation of the Roman philosopher Boethius's De consolatione philosophiae. In this translation, which was written around 888, "threshold" appears as "þeorscwold" (that first letter is called a thorn and it was used in Old English and Middle English to indicate the sounds produced by "th" in "thin" and "this"). The origins of this Old English word are not known, though it is believed to be related to Old English "threscan," from which we get the words thresh, meaning "to separate seed from (a harvested plant) using a machine or tool" and "thrash," meaning, among other things "to beat soundly with or as if with a stick or whip."

Origin and Etymology of threshold

Middle English thresshold, from Old English threscwald; akin to Old Norse threskjǫldr threshold, Old English threscan to thresh

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

threshold Synonyms

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

THRESHOLD Defined for English Language Learners

threshold

noun

Definition of threshold for English Language Learners

: a piece of wood, metal, or stone that forms the bottom of a door and that you walk over as you enter a room or building
: the point or level at which something begins or changes

THRESHOLD Defined for Kids

threshold

noun thresh·old \ ˈthresh-ˌhōld \

Definition of threshold for Students

1 : the sill of a door

2 : a point or place of beginning or entering

Ralph had a scary feeling he was on the threshold of adventure.
—Beverly Cleary, The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Medical Dictionary

threshold

noun thresh·old \ ˈthresh-ˌ(h)ōld \

medical Definition of threshold

: the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced (as the degree of stimulation of a nerve which just produces a response or the concentration of sugar in the blood at which sugar just begins to pass the barrier of the kidneys and enter the urine)

below the threshold of consciousness

the threshold of pain

a high renal clearance threshold

— called also limen

Law Dictionary

threshold

noun thresh·old \ ˈthresh-ˌhōld \

legal Definition of threshold

: a point of beginning : a minimum requirement for further action; specifically : a determination (as of fact or the existence of a reasonable doubt) upon which something else (as further consideration or a right of action) hinges

the threshold for inquiry

threshold

adjective

legal Definition of threshold

: of, relating to, or being a threshold

the threshold issue in a negligence action is whether the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff
—Noakes v. City of Seattle, 895 P.2d 842 (1995)