What does liminal mean Meaning and Definition

Pronunciation

/ˈlaɪmɪnəl/ 🔊

Part of Speech

Adjective or Noun

Definition

Examples

• The travel experience of being in a foreign country was a liminal state, as we were in a new and unfamiliar environment.
• He was in a liminal space as a lay minister because his actions of lay authority on ordinary objects invoked neither higher ordinals but reflected current systems upon governance around self-making churches over ecclesias everywhere religious buildings seen worship where physical conditions contained neither order established pre-secluding acts social formation laws civil groups past members worship gathered meeting sacraments governed daily church-rites taught its people holy nature baptism sacraments -an empty not empty of its religious sacred authority because after sacraments prelumin was both both religious ceremonial power of, holy self being holy self its sacraments -its, ordinary baptisman unification then had some sacraments rites as with that holy rite given it would be possible another common lay person seen worship leader governed all congregations around holy holy eucharist bread altar christ gospel.
• The relationship between the two countries during the negotiations was a liminal state, as they had to navigate through a complex and uncertain process.

Synonyms

• Transitionary
• In-between
• Intermediate
• Pivotal
• Threshold

Antonyms

• Established
• Settled
• Certain
• Decided
• Locked-in

Etymology

The word liminal comes from the Latin word ‘limen’, meaning ‘threshold’, and is derived from the Latin word ‘linere’, meaning ‘to lean or rest against’. It was first used to describe the transitional phase in anthropology.

Usage Notes

The word liminal can be used in a variety of contexts:

• Psychology: To describe the transitional phase during rites of passage.
• Literature: To describe situations in between two states, like change in relationships and personal transformations.
• Education: To describe a stage in learning where the old notion is transcended and new knowledge creates insights.
• Business: To describe companies or employees making a transition from an old norm into the new one.

Cultural References

The word liminal has gained popularity in recent years and has been featured in various forms of media, such as:

• TV Shows: The concept has been explored in TV shows like ‘Stranger Things’, ‘This Is Us’, and ‘Game of Thrones’.
• Books: The word liminal has been featured in popular novels such as ‘1984’, ‘Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind’, and ‘Atlas of Impossibly Wears Europe.’

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

Some idomatic expressions using the term ‘liminal’ include:

• At the liminal stage of development
• Going through a liminal period
• Standing at the threshold of a liminal state
• Undergoing a process of liminalization

Related Words or Phrases

Synonyms for liminal include:

• Transitionary
• In-between
• Intermediate
• Pivotal
• Threshold

Conversely, antonyms of liminal can be such words as:

• Established
• Settled
• Certain
• Decided
• Locked-in

Collocations

Some common collocations with the term ‘liminal’ include:

• Liminal period
• Liminal stage
• Liminal phase
• Liminal state
• Liminal experience

Frequency of Use

The word liminal has seen an increase in usage in recent years, particularly:

• In academic and literary circles, where it is often used to describe transitional phases in human development and psychology.
• Entrepreneurial spaces, particularly amongst digital-natives as they describe stage-in-changes as periods of ‘ liminal transitions ‘.
• Transitional workspaces– change management practitioners discussing key changes an enterprise has a liminal in this world each time it goes under stage-and such enterprises change with every liminal, having changing norms where enterprise is into constant evolvement through ‘change phases states.

Common Misspellings

Common misspellings for liminal include:

• Liminial
• Liminalle
• Liminale
• Limnael