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

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

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

If a star passes close to a black hole without crossing the threshold for total disruption, it can lose only part of its mass, producing a partial TDE.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Circuit judges were also split on the threshold issue of standing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Columbia House drew further claims of bad business by allegedly refusing to acknowledge payments, discounting items so that users’ purchases fell just below the agreed-upon threshold and being a notoriously difficult subscription to terminate.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

While this meets Unesco's lower minimum threshold of 4%, several countries - including France, Germany, Australia, Brazil and the US - spend more than 5% of their GDP on education.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

She hesitates, hovering on the threshold, when she sees that her father is not alone.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Once certain thresholds are reached, up to 85% of your Social Security benefits can be included in taxable income.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

For many places it will mark a third consecutive day above official heatwave thresholds.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

While the federal estate tax hits only the wealthiest Americans, the thresholds for state estate and inheritance taxes are generally much lower and can catch even middle-class families by surprise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

"Warning labels on products exceeding nutrient thresholds could help parents navigate the toddler food environment and might encourage manufacturers to reformulate these products."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

He girded himself and knew this would be a conflict that would extend the thresholds of his fear of his father and his cowardice before the plowman who had granted him life.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• brink
• verge