subliminal

adjective

sub·​lim·​i·​nal (ˌ)sə-ˈbli-mə-nᵊl 

1

: inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception

2

: existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness

the subliminal mind

subliminal advertising

subliminally adverb

Did you know?

Since the Latin word limen means "threshold", something subliminal exists just below the threshold of conscious awareness. The classic example of a subliminal message is "Eat popcorn" flashed on a movie screen so quickly that the audience doesn't even notice it consciously. Actually, no such advertising has ever been shown to work. But ordinary ads, both in print and on TV, do contain all kinds of images that shape our response to the product being advertised even when we don't realize it. Try looking carefully at some ads that you like, in order to discover how many ways they may be subliminally affecting you.

Examples of subliminal in a Sentence

The studio denied the existence of subliminal messages in the movie.

I am skeptical that subliminal advertising actually works.

Recent Examples on the Web

Maybe that was a subliminal one that seeped into my consciousness. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2024

The surprising impact of subliminal messages on rational, intentional, conscious behavior lends subliminal protocols to practical applications, of which advertising is just one example. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024

All of the subliminal symbolism is now laid as bare as Teresa’s abdomen in a Sizzle Tans commercial. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 July 2024

My mother-in-law says things like, ‘What happened to your face?’ Miss Manners: Is putting her feet on my dashboard a subliminal message? —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

sub- + Latin limin-, limen threshold

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

subliminal

adjective

sub·​lim·​i·​nal (ˌ)səb-ˈlim-ən-ᵊl 

ˈsəb-

1

: not strong enough to produce a sensation or a mental awareness

subliminal stimuli

2

: existing or functioning below the level of conscious awareness

the subliminal mind

subliminal advertising

subliminally

-ē

adverb

Medical Definition

subliminal

adjective

sub·​lim·​i·​nal (ˌ)səb-ˈlim-ən-ᵊl, ˈsəb- 

1

: inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception

2

: existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness

the subliminal mind

subliminal advertising

subliminally

-ē 

adverb