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

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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

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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

Scientists use this threshold to determine which areas qualify as ice-covered when calculating the total "sea ice extent."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

A CoreWeave bond due in 2031 traded at a yield more than 10 percentage points higher than the comparable Treasury yield—a symbolic threshold where the industry starts considering a bond “distressed.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Bennett explained that "a certain evidential threshold" had to be reached before identifying individuals online, but said as a council they did not want to "shy away" from the problem.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

UniCredit said it had received the authorization from the ECB to "cross the 30% equity participation threshold in Commerzbank AG... and to increase its stake further without upper limits".

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

“May I come again, Mademoiselle?” she asked at the threshold.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

To determine whether these changes were large enough to matter to patients, the researchers applied established thresholds for clinically meaningful improvement.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

They were also not told for 16 months about test results commissioned by the trust that showed their exposure had breached safety thresholds.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Previous guidelines did not lay out specific thresholds for income, pension or language skills.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Interest from Treasurys is exempt from state tax but is taxed federally as income, which can push one’s income above thresholds that trigger Medicare premium surcharges, Um noted.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Most of the homes in the village looked the same, with smooth clay walls, thatched roofs, dirt paths, and large stone thresholds.

From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins

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