threshold

noun

thresh·​old ˈthresh-ˌhōld How to pronounce threshold (audio)
ˈthre-ˌshōld
1
: the plank, stone, or piece of timber that lies under a door : sill
2
a
: gate, door
b(1)
: end, boundary
specifically : the end of a runway
(2)
: the place or point of entering or beginning : outset
on the threshold of a new age
3
a
: the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced
has a high threshold for pain
b
: a level, point, or value above which something is true or will take place and below which it is not or will not

Did you know?

Whenever you leave your home, walk from one room to another, or enter a building, you are crossing a threshold—that is, the horizontal floor piece that you cross over whenever you move through a doorway. But the earliest uses of threshold refer to a different type of boundary: an Old English translation of Boethius’s De consolatione philosophiae uses the word in a sentence about how the sea was made so that it didn’t overstep the "threshold," or boundary, of the earth. In this translation, which was written around 888, threshold appears as þeorscwold (that first letter is called thorn and it was used in Old English and Middle English to indicate the sounds produced by th in thin and this). The origins of this Old English word are not known, though it is believed to be related to the Old English word threscan, from which we get the words thresh, meaning "to separate seed from (a harvested plant) using a machine or tool" and thrash, meaning, among other things, "to beat soundly with or as if with a stick or whip." But there's nothing in the historical record that directly ties threshing to the threshold.

Examples of threshold in a Sentence

… we still hadn't grasped that we had crossed a threshold where it no longer mattered what passport you carried, that you were young and loved, … or that you were a noncombatant. Paul Salopek, National Geographic, April 2008
As we speak, the very worst of humanity is on the threshold of acquiring the most powerful weapons in history—this is a fear and a consideration to be taken very seriously. Charles Krauthammer, New Republic, 29 Apr. 2002
We thought that we were on the threshold of an age of space travel. But the greatest impact of the trip to the moon was on how we view the Earth. Suzannah Lessard, Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2001
He stepped across the threshold. If your income rises above a certain threshold, your tax rate also rises.
Recent Examples on the Web Voters had already elected to raise the monetary threshold for felony theft, from four hundred dollars to nine hundred and fifty. Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Space agencies commonly accept a 1-in 10,000 probability threshold for the casualty risk of a single uncontrolled reentry, according to ESA. Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 About 45 of the Parliament’s 290 seats remained undecided this week because the leading candidates failed to secure 20 percent of the total eligible votes, the threshold required to be elected. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Using the procedural mechanisms of the House, the lawmakers, called the House Freedom Caucus, became a thorn in the side of Republican speakers seeking to pass legislation through Congress, by pushing legislation that was often unlikely to clear the 60 vote threshold required in the Senate. Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 If the levels of seven reservoirs were to fall below a critical threshold of 38% full, the cuts would increase to as much as 3.9 million acre-feet per year, with the upper basin states sharing in the reductions. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 If Harris falls below the 30% threshold, Baucom could request a runoff. Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 This is just below the 95% threshold recommended by the WHO. Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Going into the biggest day of voting, the adviser said, the team had set a loose threshold of winning about 40% of the vote in several states to credibly stay in the race. Cnn Com Wire Service, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'threshold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English thresshold, from Old English threscwald; akin to Old Norse threskjǫldr threshold, Old English threscan to thresh

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of threshold was before the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near threshold

Cite this Entry

“Threshold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threshold. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

threshold

noun
thresh·​old ˈthresh-ˌ(h)ōld How to pronounce threshold (audio)
1
: the section of wood or stone that lies under a door
2
b
: the place or point of beginning
at the threshold of an adventure
3
: the point or level at which a physical or mental effect begins to be produced
the threshold of hearing

Medical Definition

threshold

noun
thresh·​old ˈthresh-ˌ(h)ōld How to pronounce threshold (audio)
: the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced (as the degree of stimulation of a nerve which just produces a response or the concentration of sugar in the blood at which sugar just begins to pass the barrier of the kidneys and enter the urine)
below the threshold of consciousness
the threshold of pain
a high renal clearance threshold

called also limen

Legal Definition

threshold

1 of 2 noun
thresh·​old ˈthresh-ˌhōld How to pronounce threshold (audio)
: a point of beginning : a minimum requirement for further action
specifically : a determination (as of fact or the existence of a reasonable doubt) upon which something else (as further consideration or a right of action) hinges
the threshold for inquiry

threshold

2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or being a threshold
the threshold issue in a negligence action is whether the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiffNoakes v. City of Seattle, 895 P.2d 842 (1995)
a threshold showing of the need for psychiatric evaluation

More from Merriam-Webster on threshold

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