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]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (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

   Antonyms: liminal, 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

• limen
• liminality
• liminary
• liminoid
• sublime
• subliminality
• subliminalize
• subliminally

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 (fi)
• 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.]
4. (Internet slang) 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.

Hyponyms

• blipvert (“short advertisement”)
• subliminal message
• subtweet

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 (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (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/neuter plural subliminale)

1. subliminal

Declension

Declension of subliminal

		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 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025