liminal

[lim-uh-nl]

adjective

1. Psychology.,  of, relating to, or situated at the limen, the threshold at which a stimulus begins to produce an effect.

   The subjects' responses to liminal stimulation differed, with some responding and some not.

2. of or relating to a transitional or intermediate state, stage, or period.

   Confusion can strike in the liminal states between waking and sleeping.

   The liminal period between adolescence and adulthood is a challenging place to be.

   Edwardian servants were liminal figures, existing in both upper- and lower-class society.

liminal

/ ˈlɪmɪnəl /

adjective

1. psychol relating to the point (or threshold) beyond which a sensation becomes too faint to be experienced

Word History and Origins

Origin of liminal¹

First recorded in 1875–80; from Latin līmin- (stem of līmen ) “threshold, lintel, sill” + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of liminal¹

C19: from Latin līmen threshold

Example Sentences

Thankfully, that liminal stage is also now passé.

From Los Angeles Times

But it was in fact a breeding ground of artistic ferment, in which creatives grappled with what Elie calls crypto-religion, that “liminal space between belief and disbelief” that produced a wealth of thought-provoking popular art.

From Los Angeles Times

As a death doula, a big part of the work is sitting in that liminal space rather than running away from it.

From Los Angeles Times

I’d say these are the liminal times, when it still may be possible to pull the United States back from the abyss.

From Salon

I think that’s exactly why foods in that liminal space between sweet and savory have always felt like home to me — they were the closest thing I had to dessert on an ordinary day.

From Salon

When To Use

What does liminal mean?

Liminal is an adjective that’s used to describe things that exist at the threshold (or border) between one thing and another.In psychology and physiology, the word more specifically means relating to the point (or threshold) beyond which a sensation becomes too faint to be experienced. In this way, liminal is an adjective form of the noun limen, which refers to this threshold.Example: After graduation, many students find themselves in a liminal state before they’re fully established in the workplace.