subliminal

See also: sub-liminal

English

WOTD – 6 October 2022

Etymology

PIE word
*upó

The adjective is derived from sub- (prefix meaning ‘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 English word is borrowed from German subliminal, or a calque of German unterschwellig (“subliminal”, literally “beneath the threshold”).

The noun is derived from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [ˌsʌbˈlɪm.ɪ.nl̩], [səˈblɪm.ɪ.nl̩]
• (General American) IPA^(key): /səˈblɪm.ɪ.nəl/, [səˈblɪm.ɪ.nl̩]

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌsabˈlɪm.ɪ.nəl/, [ˌsabˈlɪm.ɪ.nl̩]
• Hyphenation: sub‧li‧min‧al

Adjective

subliminal (comparative more subliminal, superlative most subliminal)

1. (physiology) 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. [from late 19th c.]

   Synonyms: latent, underthreshold

   Antonym: superliminal

2. (psychology) Without directed awareness or thought; subconscious (dated), unconscious. [from late 19th c.]
3. (by extension) Of an advertisement, a message, etc.: conveyed in a manner that a person is unaware of being influenced by it. [from mid 20th c.]

Alternative forms

• sub-liminal (dated)

Derived terms

• subliminality
• subliminally
• subliminal message
• subtweet

Related terms

• limen
• liminal
• liminality
• liminary
• liminoid
• sublime
• superliminal

 

Translations

of a stimulus: below the limen or threshold of conscious perception, especially if still able to produce a response; also, below the threshold where a response can be produced

• Azerbaijani: subliminal
• Belarusian: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: подсъзнателен (bg) (podsǎznatelen)
• Catalan: subliminar
• Czech: podprahový
• Dutch: subliminaal (nl)
• Esperanto: sublimina
• Finnish: subliminaalinen, alitajuinen, tiedostamaton
• French: subliminal (fr)
• Georgian: ქვეცნობიერი (kvecnobieri)
• German: unterbewusst (de), unterschwellig (de), subtil (de)
• Greek: παρασυνειδησιακός m (parasyneidisiakós)
• Hebrew: תַּת-סִפִּי m (tat-sipí)
• Hungarian: szubliminális
• Irish: fo-thairseachúil
• Italian: subliminale (it)
• Japanese: 閾下の (いきかの, ikika no)
• Lithuanian: pasąmoninė
• Polish: subliminalna, podprogowa
• Portuguese: subliminar (pt)
• Romanian: subliminal (ro)
• Russian: сублиминальный (subliminalʹnyj), подсознательный (ru) (podsoznatelʹnyj)
• Slovak: podprahové
• Spanish: subliminal
• Swedish: subliminal
• Turkish: subliminal

without directed awareness or thought — see unconscious

of an advertisement, a message, etc.: conveyed in a manner that a person is unaware of being influenced by it

• French: subliminal (fr)
• Portuguese: subliminar (pt)
• Spanish: subliminal

Noun

subliminal (plural subliminals)

1. (physiology) Chiefly preceded by the: something which is below the limen or threshold of conscious perception. [from late 19th c.]
2. (psychology) Chiefly preceded by the: the subconscious (dated) or unconscious self. [from late 19th c.]
3. (by extension) An advertisement, a message, etc., which is conveyed in a manner that a person is unaware of being influenced by it. [from mid 20th c.]

Hyponyms

• (advertisement): blipvert

Translations

something below the limen or threshold of conscious perception

• Japanese: 閾下 (いきか, ikika)

subconscious or unconscious self

advertisement, message, etc., which is conveyed in a manner that a person is unaware of being influenced by it

Further reading

• subliminal stimuli on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• subliminal (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

English subliminal, itself a calque from German unterschwellig.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sy.bli.mi.nal/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

subliminal (feminine subliminale, masculine plural subliminaux, feminine plural subliminales)

1. subliminal

   Synonym: subliminaire

   Antonym: supraliminal

Derived terms

• subliminalement

Further reading

• “subliminal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French subliminal.

Adjective

subliminal m or n (feminine singular subliminală, masculine plural subliminali, feminine and neuter plural subliminale)

1. subliminal

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	subliminal		subliminală		subliminali	subliminale
	definite	subliminalul		subliminala		subliminalii	subliminalele
genitive- dative	indefinite	subliminal		subliminale		subliminali	subliminale
	definite	subliminalului		subliminalei		subliminalilor	subliminalelor

Spanish

Etymology

Morphologically sub- (“under, below”) + Latin līmen (“threshold”) (genitive līminis) + -al (“adjective”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sublimiˈnal/ [su.β̞li.miˈnal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: su‧bli‧mi‧nal

Adjective

subliminal m or f (masculine and feminine plural subliminales)

1. subliminal

Derived terms

• mensaje subliminal
• subliminalmente

 

Further reading

• “subliminal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10