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subliminal

subliminal

31 7.5
Not strong enough for you to notice but able to change your thoughts or actions
  • adjective
  • /səˈblɪmɪnəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : subliminal
  • Many people believe that subliminal influences can affect our preferences without us realizing it.
  • subliminal messages

Hi, there is a lot of subliminal effect of smells.

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Examples

  • Perhaps the map has a subliminal appeal because the pattern of the galaxies looks like a human figure.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Hi, there is a lot of subliminal effect of smells.

  • So in a sense I had then this subliminal message that came from an earlier experience.

  • There are some subliminal messages in that movie.

  • Subliminal messages... it's how you get people to do what you want without them knowing it.

  • Maybe being exposed to all that had some kind of subliminal, postponed effect.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The subliminal imagery in Choke is what gets under your skin.

  • Subliminal messages-- they're all around us.

  • But these hung decorations sent a subliminal message to prospective students and, more importantly, to their parents.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The advertisement included a subliminal message intended to influence viewers' buying decisions.

Synonyms

imperceptible
vssubliminal
9 7.8

Very small or slight and hard to notice

is below conscious awareness yet can still influence thoughts or behavior

Antonyms

179 3.8

Awake and able to feel or notice things around you

53 5.1

Open and easy to notice, not hidden

Compounds

subliminal perception
  • Specialized
8.3

Noticing and reacting to pictures or sounds without being aware of them

How Perceptible

obvious
1.0
perceptible
8 5.4
subtle
276 6.0
subliminal
  • Specialized
31 7.5

Surface Forms

subliminal positive

Morphology

subliminal = liminal (transparent) = sub + liminal

The meaning follows directly from 'sub-' (below) + 'liminal' (relating to a threshold), yielding 'below the threshold'.

Etymology

Subliminal comes from sub- meaning 'under' and limen meaning 'threshold' or 'edge', a root you can see in the word 'limit'. So, subliminal literally means 'under the threshold' of consciousness, which is why a subliminal message is not noticed on purpose but can still affect your feelings or choices.