liminal space

[ lim-uh-nl speys ]

noun

1. 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.

2. Informal. any location that is unsettling, uncanny, or dreamlike:

   The classroom when school is out for the summer is a liminal space.

Word History and Origins

Origin of liminal space¹

First recorded in 1970–75