liminal

adjective

Definition of liminalnext
as in subtle
barely perceptible by a sense or by the mind They studied how the subjects were affected by different sounds played at liminal intensity.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of liminal 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 The post quickly became a vaunted piece of creepypasta, influencing everything from Severance to Playboi Carti, and it has been adopted as everyday parlance to describe any eerie, liminal space. — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for liminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liminal
  1. subtle
  2. faint
  3. unseen
  4. slight
  5. invisible
Adjective
  • But Scheft and his team are mastering the subtle differences and plan to offer many of the same loaves available in Boston, though the bakeries will have a few different offerings.
    — Connie Ogle July 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • In one of Nolan’s subtle but important additions to Homer’s tale, all throughout the film, everyone expresses fears about the People from the Sea, this unseen menace terrorizing different towns.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • Instead of true invisibility, the drone dissolves into a faint, ghostly blur that blends into whatever is behind it.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 July 2026
  • Unfortunately, both showers peak this year beneath an almost full Buck Moon on July 30-31, which will wash out many fainter meteors.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • In one of Nolan’s subtle but important additions to Homer’s tale, all throughout the film, everyone expresses fears about the People from the Sea, this unseen menace terrorizing different towns.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • The principal of my Christian high school regularly attributed world happenings—terrorist attacks, presidents elected or not elected, the price of gas—to unseen spiritual warfare.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of unseen
Adjective
  • Shares slid 2% after the regional bank reported a slight earnings miss in its second-quarter financial report.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • One minor point over that version is that on the Switch, there is a slight pause when spoken audio or video is loaded in.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • In his work, Hujar returned again and again to the spiritual life of his sitters—an invisible presence in his images.
    — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • His arms are outstretched and his shirt, worn like a jacket over a T-shirt, billows behind him as if blown by an invisible wind.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
Definition of invisible

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Cite this Entry

“Liminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liminal. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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