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

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.

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).

If you're in between two places or experiences, especially if you're transitioning between them, you're in a liminal place. Teenagers are in that liminal stage between childhood and adulthood — not …