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.

A pillar of liminal spaces is the absence of living things, particularly other people, with the implication that the viewer is alone; this lack of presence is characteristic of spaces that are "liminal in a temporal …

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.

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

Jun 5, 2025 · liminal (comparative more liminal, superlative most liminal) [W]ith the utmost strictness, we excommunicate digamists, as bringing infamy upon the Paraclete by the irregularity of their discipline.

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

Sep 21, 2025 · The word “liminal” derives from the Latin word “limen,” meaning “threshold.” This term has been used to describe experiences, spaces, and conditions that exist in transitional states or …

Liminal definition: Intermediate between two states, conditions, or regions; transitional or indeterminate.