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 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 …

Dec 3, 2025 · The word “liminal” is an adjective with two meanings. The first definition describes something occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

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.

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).

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).

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 …

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

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.

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 always …