Word of the Day

: August 22, 2021

liminal

adjective LIM-uh-nul

What It Means

Liminal is used to describe something that is barely perceptible or that involves a transitional or in-between state.

// The essay presents an image of the border region as a liminal zone where one culture blends into another.

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liminal in Context

"In the vast but liminal space of the ocean, cargo vessels—some of the largest machines on the planet—have generally operated in obscurity." — Aurora Almendral, The New York Times, 27 June 2021

"This new body of work glows with a more subtle light. [Rick Worth] captures a particular summer kind of Key West glow, the liminal luminosity of streetlights on the poincianas or the dappled glow of sea grapes of Fort Zach." — The Key West (Florida) Citizen, 30 June 2021

Did You Know?

When liminal first appeared in written use, it referred to something (such as a physical stimulus) which was just barely perceptible, or just barely capable of eliciting a response. This meaning is still in use today in constructions like "liminal auditory stimuli." The word comes from the noun limen, which refers to the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced. In its most common extended meaning now, it describes a state, place, or condition of transition, as in “the liminal zone between sleep and wakefulness.” The closely related word subliminal means “below a threshold”; it can describe something inadequate to produce a sensation or something operating below a threshold of consciousness.