subliminal

adjective

sub·​lim·​i·​nal (ˌ)sə-ˈbli-mə-nᵊl 

1

: inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception

2

: existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness

the subliminal mind

subliminal advertising

subliminally adverb

Did you know?

Since the Latin word limen means "threshold", something subliminal exists just below the threshold of conscious awareness. The classic example of a subliminal message is "Eat popcorn" flashed on a movie screen so quickly that the audience doesn't even notice it consciously. Actually, no such advertising has ever been shown to work. But ordinary ads, both in print and on TV, do contain all kinds of images that shape our response to the product being advertised even when we don't realize it. Try looking carefully at some ads that you like, in order to discover how many ways they may be subliminally affecting you.

Examples of subliminal in a Sentence

The studio denied the existence of subliminal messages in the movie.

I am skeptical that subliminal advertising actually works.

Recent Examples on the Web

The concerns over subliminal white supremacy prompted an enormous backlash in conservative circles, including from Vice President JD Vance. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025

And some viewers are sounding the alarm, claiming the ad has several problematic subliminal messages, including eugenics and a regressive sexualization of women. —Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 31 July 2025

But the subliminal learning appears to work only between very similar models, typically those within the same family of AI systems. —Angela Yang, NBC news, 29 July 2025

Because our sense of smell can be largely subliminal, in surveys many people, given the choice of losing one sense, choose olfaction. —Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 3 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

sub- + Latin limin-, limen threshold

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for subliminal

• noncriminal
• criminal
• liminal

Kids Definition

subliminal

adjective

sub·​lim·​i·​nal (ˌ)səb-ˈlim-ən-ᵊl 

ˈsəb-

1

: not strong enough to produce a sensation or a mental awareness

subliminal stimuli

2

: existing or functioning below the level of conscious awareness

the subliminal mind

subliminal advertising

subliminally

-ē

adverb

Medical Definition

subliminal

adjective

sub·​lim·​i·​nal (ˌ)səb-ˈlim-ən-ᵊl, ˈsəb- 

1

: inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception

2

: existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness

the subliminal mind

subliminal advertising

subliminally

-ē 

adverb