Liminal is a word for the in-between. It describes states, times, spaces, etc., that exist at a point of change—a metaphorical threshold—as in “the liminal zone between sleep and wakefulness.”

LIMINAL definition: of, relating to, or situated at the limen, the threshold at which a stimulus begins to produce an effect. See examples of liminal used in a sentence.

During a rite's liminal stage, participants "stand at the threshold" [3] between their previous way of structuring their identity, time, or community, and a new way (which completing the rite …

Somewhere between sanctioned and unsanctioned brutality, there is a liminal kind, officially condemned but operating in the service of sanctioned power.

Definition of liminal adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Jun 5, 2025 · liminal (comparative more liminal, superlative most liminal) Of or pertaining to an entrance or threshold. [from late 19th c.] synonym quotations Synonym: thresholdlike

liminal is a borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element; originally modelled on a German lexical item. Etymons: Latin līmin-, līmen, ‑al suffix1.

Dec 15, 2016 · Definition of 'liminal' liminal in British English (ˈlɪmɪnəl ) adjective psychology

Mar 21, 2025 · To be in a liminal space means to be on the precipice of something new but not quite there yet. The word "liminal" comes from the Latin word “limen,” which means threshold.

Liminal is an English adjective meaning "on the threshold", from Latin līmen, plural limina. Liminal or Liminality may refer to: