: inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception
2
: existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness
the subliminal mind
subliminal advertising
subliminallyadverb
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.
Example Sentences
The studio denied the existence of subliminal messages in the movie. I am skeptical that subliminal advertising actually works.
Recent Examples on the WebBut perhaps more important than the take-up of new gadgetry and technological tricks is the country’s tentative acceptance of subliminal storytelling: over the years, China has begun to learn that the best propaganda does not feel like propaganda. Jane Hu, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 It’s not so subliminal, however, that Mayfield felt chained in Cleveland last season and now feels free. Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2022 Meanwhile, showbiz giants from Jay Leno to Jason Priestley to George Clooney have either offered or given the show subliminal voice cameos—the last performing the woofs of a gay dog. Chris Norris, SPIN, 13 Aug. 2022 Beyoncé is getting subliminal with her Renaissance rollout. Glenn Garner, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2022 This inefficiency can also be tackled through the use of smart empathetic technologies that capture the correct subliminal thoughts. Ashwin Srivastava, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 The true genius appears to lie within your subliminal marketing department.Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2022 The centralized location is ideal, but there's also more than a little subliminal advertising going on. Will Graves, Chron, 15 Apr. 2022 The message is subliminal, yet powerful: Someone is coming to get you, and only a gun can protect you. Andrew Brinker, BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2022 See More