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.

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

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

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.

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

5 days ago · A state of being on the edge or margins of society, applied archaeologically in three interrelated ways. Physical liminality may be seen in terms of a place or activity being detached from …

Find 350 synonyms for liminal and other similar words that you can use instead based on 2 separate contexts from our thesaurus.