threshold

American  

[thresh-ohld, thresh-hohld] / ˈθrɛʃ oʊld, ˈθrɛʃ hoʊld /

noun

• thresholds
  plural

1. 

   the sill of a doorway.

2. the entrance to a house or building.

3. any place or point of entering or beginning.

   the threshold of a new career.

4. Also called limen. Psychology, Physiology. the point at which a stimulus is of sufficient intensity to begin to produce an effect.

   the threshold of consciousness; a low threshold of pain.

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threshold British  

/ ˈθrɛʃˌhəʊld, ˈθrɛʃəʊld /

noun

1. Also called: doorsill. a sill, esp one made of stone or hardwood, placed at a doorway

2. any doorway or entrance

3. the starting point of an experience, event, or venture

   on the threshold of manhood

4. psychol the strength at which a stimulus is just perceived Compare absolute threshold difference threshold

   the threshold of consciousness

5. 1. a level or point at which something would happen, would cease to happen, or would take effect, become true, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      threshold price

      threshold effect

6. 1. the minimum intensity or value of a signal, etc, that will produce a response or specified effect

      a frequency threshold

   2. ( as modifier )

      a threshold current

7. (modifier) designating or relating to a pay agreement, clause, etc, that raises wages to compensate for increases in the cost of living

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thresholds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of threshold

First recorded before 900; Middle English threschold, Old English threscold, threscwald; cognate with Old Norse threskǫldr, dialectal Swedish träskvald; akin to thresh in earlier sense “trample, tread”; -old, -wald element of obscure origin

Explanation

A threshold is what you step across when you enter a room. A threshold takes you from one place into another, and when you're about to start something new, you're also on a threshold. A threshold is a point of departure or transition. Graduation can mark a threshold — when you graduate from circus school, you're standing at the threshold of your new career as a trapeze artist. Another kind of threshold is a limit or boundary. If you have a high threshold for pain, you can tolerate a lot of it, and your dentist can drill away without worrying about your squirming and howling.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

threshold thresholds

At the time, the Court suggested a lack of direct ownership fell short of the recusal threshold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

"Below a certain threshold, services do not simply reach fewer people; they can stop functioning altogether, leaving those most at risk without the protection they need."

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Luxury tax payrolls determine whether a team exceeds the league’s luxury tax threshold and owes financial penalties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

A field office team reviewed the calls but found they did not meet the threshold for an FBI investigation and identified no connection to terrorism, CNN reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

As a rule, wandering souls were never able to cross the threshold into Clare’s cottage unless they were invited.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Luxury tax penalties from clubs that exceed the thresholds funnel back to low-revenue clubs through revenue sharing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

It bears repeating: Know your liquidation thresholds, grace periods and other loan terms, particularly during a “crypto cascade,” when an initial price drop can trigger automated liquidations and accelerate a selloff.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

Officials said the new legislation would spell out thresholds before the labor minister can bring an end to a labor disruption.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

After setting thresholds for what would count as a clinically meaningful benefit, the researchers found little to no effect on the chance of experiencing any fracture.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

They only looked different on holidays, when girls decorated their family’s paths and thresholds with painted patterns called alpanas, just as their ancestors had done for generations.

From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• brink
• verge