LIMINAL SPACE Definition & Meaning

liminal space

[ lim-uh-nl speys ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a state or place characterized by being transitional or intermediate in some way: In the film, Venice is a liminal space where the real and imaginary meet.
Motels are such liminal spaces—everyone there is either coming or going.
In the film, Venice is a liminal space where the real and imaginary meet.
Informal. any location that is unsettling, uncanny, or dreamlike:
The classroom when school is out for the summer is a liminal space.

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of liminal space¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

I think that’s exactly why foods in that liminal space between sweet and savory have always felt like home to me — they were the closest thing I had to dessert on an ordinary day.

From

The title is derived from the Buddhist term “bodhi,” or a state of enlightenment; for Judeline, “Bodhiria” is the liminal space that her alter ego, “Angela,” occupies between God and her lover.

From

The humor comes from star Hauser, who easily occupies the liminal space between comedy and drama.

From

Foreign assistance fills the liminal space between harder and softer forms of power, reducing friction in the sometimes fraught but often low-stakes interactions that comprise the bulk of international political engagement.

From

And yet in this liminal space dedicated to emotional drifting, I truly felt like I was nowhere at all.

From

Browse