Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Below the threshold of conscious perception. Used of stimuli.
  • adjective Inadequate to produce conscious awareness but able to evoke a response.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Below the threshold of sensation. In the following quotation a similar threshold of consciousness is supposed.
  • Subconscious; pertaining to the subliminal self or personality: as, a subliminal memory.
  • noun The subconscious; a supposed secondary self or consciousness below the level of the normal, waking life.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Philos.) Existing in the mind, but below the surface or threshold of consciousness; that is, existing as feeling rather than as clear ideas.
  • adjective having or using an intensity of sensory stimulus insufficient to be perceived consciously, but having an effect on unconscious mental processes.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of a stimulus Below the threshold of conscious perception, especially if still able to produce a response.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective below the threshold of conscious perception

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[sub– + Latin līmen, līmin-, threshold.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Morphologically sub- + Latin līmen ("threshold") (genitive līminis) + -al, a calque of German unterschwellig ("beneath the threshold").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word subliminal.

Examples

  • CNN is always seems to be throughing in subliminal messages supporting Clinton.

    Three more supers for Obama 2008

  • Although each individual sighting of a logo has only a short-term subliminal effect, researchers fear that walking daily past numerous burger bars and sandwich shops could have a cumulative "behavioural priming" effect, making people hurry whether or not they are pushed for time.

    Fast Food Psychology: Scientists Identify "Behavioral Priming" Effect 2010

  • I used the word subliminal because the Cruise collections are actually already in stores right now.

    FashionWindows Network 2009

  • Then you were dying from what you called subliminal hematoma. "

    The End of the Pier Grimes, Martha 1994

  • A glimpse so quick that one person posted -- did I actually see Barack's white grandma or am I recalling a subliminal image?

    CNN Transcript Apr 10, 2008 2008

  • MOOS: A glimpse so quick that one person posted, "Did I actually see Barack's white grandma or am I recalling a subliminal image?"

    CNN Transcript Apr 9, 2008 2008

  • When I was a small child, I thought the idea of subliminal messaging was way cool.

    Archive 2007-08-01 josh 2007

  • When I was a small child, I thought the idea of subliminal messaging was way cool.

    Subliminal messaging josh 2007

  • Critics called subliminal advertising "merchandising hypnosis" and "remote control of national thought."

    For a Time in the '50s, 2007

  • They thought they could sneak a subliminal message in, but they were hardly subtle enough.

    Mike Huckabee on his pardon record and Romney's. Ann Althouse 2007

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.