liminal

adjective

Definition of liminalnext
as in subtle
barely perceptible by a sense or by the mind They studied how the subjects were affected by different sounds played at liminal intensity.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of liminal There’s a liminal place between the outside of the glass and the reflecting material. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026 But across this setting’s liminal, glistening affluence, something consequential emerges about the meaning behind her presence there. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 If Tom Ford as envisioned by the man himself felt like the most glamorous of nights out, Ackermann considers his iteration of the brand the liminal space that follows. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026 Ullom continued, explaining that liminal horror films give audiences a temporary excuse to detach from an online world that can be difficult to make sense of. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for liminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liminal
  1. subtle
  2. faint
  3. unseen
  4. slight
  5. invisible
Adjective
  • Poindexter featured his three daughters in his first campaign advertisement for the general election, taking a subtle dig at Miller.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Later still, we are introduced to Satoko Iijima (Ishida), who again shares many defining features with her two namesakes, albeit with just enough subtle differences to keep the audience on the back foot.
    — James Marsh, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of subtle
Adjective
  • The concept uses single-photon lidar to detect faint laser reflections from an aircraft.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This places the light on a more sensitive part of your retina and can make faint objects easier to see.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • To offer that vision, the designers skipped bookshelves and built an octagonal conversation pit with a circular skylight above the desk, echoing a skylight over the real house’s unseen indoor pool.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Cognitive concentration presents an even greater challenge because adverse changes can go unseen for an indeterminate amount of time.
    — Swati Deepak Kumar, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of unseen
Adjective
  • Valadao, a Republican from Hanford, has won the seat in six of the last seven elections despite the district’s slight Democratic tilt.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In their paper from September, Minzer and his colleagues proved a slight variant of Khot’s second conjecture that has nearly the same consequences.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • They were rendered invisible in the dominant discourse, their deaths acceptable costs in a game of power politics and conquest.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The rich cinematic imagery and sound give new forms to the often complex and invisible realities of climate change.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of invisible

Browse Nearby Words

limeys
liminal
limit
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Cite this Entry

“Liminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liminal. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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