threshold

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

|Updated on: 6 Aug 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 only other company that is close to the 200,000 threshold is General Motors, which sells the Chevy Volt and Bolt-EV electric cars.

— russ mitchell, latimes.com, "As Tesla tax credits disappear, will Model 3 deposit-holders stick around?," 3 July 2018
Those numbers are well above the thresholds for triggering federal help, the lawmakers wrote.

— ian duncan, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland congressional delegation calls on Trump to approve disaster declaration for Ellicott City flood," 2 July 2018
Since becoming majority leader, McConnell has held Supreme Court justices to the same lower threshold.

— Washington Post, "Analysis: GOP’s long-term Supreme Court strategy pays off," 29 June 2018
The department’s income limits are used as a threshold for determining which households may qualify for affordable and/or subsidized housing through programs such as Section 8.

— jonathan sperling, Fortune, "In the Bay Area, Households Making $117,00 Are Now Considered Low Income," 27 June 2018
Downtown Indy formally began seeking signatures for the IED last fall, but ended up so close to the 50 percent threshold that questions were raised over whether the requirement had been met.

— james briggs, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis council rejects Downtown tax; approves money for education, streets," 18 June 2018
The authors of the new Italian paper make a similar point by looking at a couple of semi-arbitrary thresholds for world-class sprint speed.

— alex hutchinson, Outside Online, "The Art of Pacing Is More Complicated Than You Think," 14 June 2018
Tests from May 23 showed the toxin cylindrospermopsin at 6.9 parts per billion — above the safe threshold even for adults, according to OHA officials.

— everton bailey jr., OregonLive.com, "1 dead, several injured in 3-car crash near Woodburn," 7 June 2018
It's expected to pass in the House but unlikely to go far in the Senate, even though rescissions only need a simple majority and not subject to the normal 60-vote threshold to avoid a filibuster.

— ashley killough, CNN, "House to vote Thursday on package that would cut $1 billion in spending," 7 June 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)