liminality

[lim-uh-nal-i-tee]

noun

Anthropology.

1. the transitional period or phase of a rite of passage, during which the participant lacks social status or rank, remains anonymous, shows obedience and humility, and follows prescribed forms of conduct, dress, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of liminality¹

< Latin līmin- (stem of līmen ) threshold + -al ¹ + -ity

Example Sentences

There is this liminality between the living and the dead, an in-between where the bonds of love can still dwell.

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But her mutilated body “has become a place of convergence,” she writes, of “liminality.”

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The word “liminality,” which broadly refers to intermediate or transitional spaces, evokes visions of New Age-y women with flowing scarves, armchair psychologists or insidious miracle drugs in Burgess-esque dystopias.

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Simpson’s Bronco chase, an ominous detail that adds to the sense of liminality as the show enters its final season.

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It is impossible to escape the feeling of liminality.

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When To Use

What does liminality mean?

Liminality is a state of transition between one stage and the next, especially between major stages in one’s life or during a rite of passage.The concept of liminality was first developed and is used most often in the science of anthropology (the study of human origins, behavior, and culture). In a general sense, liminality is an in-between period, typically marked by uncertainty.Example: After graduation, many students find themselves in a state of liminality before they’re fully established in the workplace.