1. the quality or state of being on a threshold or at a boundary; an in-between or transitional condition.
Usage: commonly used in anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies; often describes liminal spaces or liminal periods
2. a state of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs during a transition between two distinct states or identities.
Usage: used in psychology and personal development contexts

Examples

• The airport exists in a kind of liminality, neither fully part of the city nor separate from it.
• Adolescence is a period of liminality between childhood and adulthood.
• The pandemic created a state of liminality for many workers uncertain about returning to offices.
• Liminal spaces like hallways and waiting rooms embody architectural liminality.
• The character's liminality—caught between two worlds—drives the novel's central conflict.
• Graduation marks a moment of liminality when students are no longer students but not yet professionals.
• Artists often explore themes of liminality in their work to challenge viewers' perceptions.