liminal space

American  

[lim-uh-nl speys] / ˈlɪm ə nl ˈspeɪs /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of liminal space

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Since I’d been finding myself in various Chinatowns both as a liminal space and a state of mind, I told them I’d claim it, even though it was just as mysterious to me.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

As I see glimpses of Low’s home before and after the fires, I again feel as if I’m standing in a liminal space, a remembrance but also a reminder.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

The posts themselves exist in a liminal space between life and death.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

All three sisters found themselves single, and the music inhabits that strange liminal space where you're relieved to be free, but not quite ready to move on.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025

I think that’s exactly why foods in that liminal space between sweet and savory have always felt like home to me — they were the closest thing I had to dessert on an ordinary day.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2025