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.”

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).

Liminality is the state of being in between: no longer what you were, but not yet what you’re becoming. The word comes from the Latin “limen,” meaning threshold, and it describes any period, place, or …

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

Jan 23, 2026 · Liminal means “relating to a threshold” — the space between what was and what comes next. It describes places, moments, and experiences that exist in transition, belonging fully to neither …

Apr 19, 2026 · Adjective liminal (comparative more liminal, superlative most liminal) Of or pertaining to an entrance or threshold. [from late 19th c.] Synonym: thresholdlike

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.

Liminal is an adjective that’s used to describe things that exist at the threshold (or border) between one thing and another. In psychology and physiology, the word more specifically means relating to the …