subliminal

[ suhb-lim-uh-nl ]
See synonyms for subliminal on Thesaurus.com
adjectivePsychology.
  1. existing or operating below the threshold of consciousness; being or employing stimuli insufficiently intense to produce a discrete sensation but often being or designed to be intense enough to influence the mental processes or the behavior of the individual: a subliminal stimulus;subliminal advertising.

Origin of subliminal

1
First recorded in 1885–90; sub- + Latin līmin-, stem of līmen “threshold” + -al1

Other words from subliminal

  • sub·lim·i·nal·ly, adverb
  • non·sub·lim·i·nal, adjective
  • non·sub·lim·i·nal·ly, adverb

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How to use subliminal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subliminal

subliminal

/ (sʌbˈlɪmɪnəl) /


adjective
  1. resulting from processes of which the individual is not aware

  2. (of stimuli) less than the minimum intensity or duration required to elicit a response

Origin of subliminal

1
C19: from Latin sub- below + līmen threshold

Derived forms of subliminal

  • subliminally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012