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 establishes).

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

A range of discursive strategies place the characters in gossip-stories (even in the category called "self-gossip") in marginalized, liminal, or uncertain social spaces.

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

liminal in American English (ˈlɪmɪnəl , ˈlaɪmɪnəl ) adjective 1. physiology and psychology

Intermediate between two states, conditions, or regions; transitional or indeterminate: "While doctors operate, she hangs suspended in the liminal space between life and death" (Jeremy Eichler).

What is the etymology of the adjective liminal? liminal is a borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element; originally modelled on a German lexical item.

Jun 2, 2024 · Liminal space is a place of transition, a threshold between two points, signaling the end of one time or space, and the beginning of another.