subliminal.
Of a stimulus, below the limen or threshold of conscious perception, especially if still able to produce a response; also (generally), below the threshold where a response can be produced.
Meaning & usage
Of a stimulus, below the limen or threshold of conscious perception, especially if still able to produce a response; also (generally), below the threshold where a response can be produced.
Of a stimulus, below the limen or threshold of conscious perception, especially if still able to produce a response; also (generally), below the threshold where a response can be produced. Of an advertisement, a message, etc.: conveyed in a manner that the viewer is unaware of being influenced by it.
Without directed awareness or thought; subconscious (dated), unconscious.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub-der. English sub- English liminal English subliminal From sub- (“beneath, under”) + liminal (“of or pertaining to an entrance or threshold”) (from Latin līminālis, from līmen (“doorstep, threshold; doorway, entrance; beginning, commencement”); possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Heh₃l- (“to bend, bow; elbow”)) + *-mn̥ (suffix forming action nouns or result nouns from verbs)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns)). The noun is derived from the adjective. The English word is a borrowing from German subliminal or a calque of German unterschwellig (“subliminal”, literally “beneath the threshold”).
Chiefly preceded by the: something which is below the limen or threshold of conscious perception. An advertisement, a message, etc., which is conveyed in a manner that a person is unaware of being influenced by it.
Chiefly preceded by the: something which is below the limen or threshold of conscious perception. An audio or video recording, often consisting of ambient music or white noise with hidden affirmations, intended to produce physical or psychological changes in the listener through repetition.
She spent all night listening to a subliminal to change her eye color.
Chiefly preceded by the: the subconscious (dated) or unconscious self.
Where this word comes from
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub-der. English sub- English liminal English subliminal From sub- (“beneath, under”) + liminal (“of or pertaining to an entrance or threshold”) (from Latin līminālis, from līmen (“doorstep, threshold; doorway, entrance; beginning, commencement”); possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Heh₃l- (“to bend, bow; elbow”)) + *-mn̥ (suffix forming action nouns or result nouns from verbs)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns)). The noun is derived from the adjective. The English word is a borrowing from German subliminal or a calque of German unterschwellig (“subliminal”, literally “beneath the threshold”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.