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 ofconscious perception , especially if still able to produce aresponse .
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
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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CNN is always seems to be throughing in subliminal messages supporting Clinton.
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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
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I used the word subliminal because the Cruise collections are actually already in stores right now.
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Then you were dying from what you called subliminal hematoma. "
The End of the Pier Grimes, Martha 1994
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A glimpse so quick that one person posted -- did I actually see Barack's white grandma or am I recalling a subliminal image?
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MOOS: A glimpse so quick that one person posted, "Did I actually see Barack's white grandma or am I recalling a subliminal image?"
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When I was a small child, I thought the idea of subliminal messaging was way cool.
Archive 2007-08-01 josh 2007
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When I was a small child, I thought the idea of subliminal messaging was way cool.
Subliminal messaging josh 2007
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Critics called subliminal advertising "merchandising hypnosis" and "remote control of national thought."
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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
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