threshold
noun
thresh·old
| \ ˈthresh-ˌhōld
, ˈthre-ˌshōld\
, ˈthre-ˌshōld\
Definition of threshold
3a
: 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
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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
When a threshold of consecutive CAGs is crossed, the disease begins to manifest. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Huntington’s disease triggered by genetic instability in brain cells, study finds," 15 Aug. 2019 California is one of a handful of states offering its own subsidies to residents — and the first to provide them to people making more than the federal income threshold of 400% of the federal poverty level. — Los Angeles Times, "Covered California draws more insurers after state moves to bolster Obamacare," 12 Aug. 2019 For a parliamentary majority in Italy, a party needs only about 40% of the vote, since smaller parties that fail to reach a threshold of 3% are eliminated, and just over a third of the seats are allocated on a first-past-the-post basis. — The Economist, "Italy’s government is on the brink of collapse," 9 Aug. 2019 Trump’s latest threat of more tariffs on Chinese goods helped push the yuan past a psychological threshold of 7, the level defended by the authorities in the past. — Anchalee Worrachate / Bloomberg, Time, "President Trump Wants a Weaker Dollar. But He Keeps Accidentally Pumping Up the Value," 8 Aug. 2019 On July 4 fresh results from the late universe were released that reinforced the SH0ES figure, pushing the tension past a threshold of statistical significance that physicists use as a benchmark for genuine discoveries. — Leila Sloman, Scientific American, "Hubble Tension Headache: Clashing Measurements Make the Universe's Expansion a Lingering Mystery," 29 July 2019 For 25 years, from the dawn of the space age in the 1950s to the threshold of almost routine launchings in the 1980s, Mr. Kraft played crucial roles in the space program. — Robert D. Mcfadden, New York Times, "Christopher Kraft, NASA’s Face and Voice of Mission Control, Dies at 95," 22 July 2019 While Barry was expected to make landfall as a weak hurricane, with winds just barely over the threshold of 75 mph, officials urged residents not to be complacent. — Jenny Jarvie, latimes.com, "Barry strengthens into a hurricane as it pummels Louisiana coast with rain and wind," 13 July 2019 Even here at Bonneville, though, on what looks like the threshold of heaven, there’s no such thing as universal justice. — Mark Mahaney, Smithsonian, "Danny Thompson’s Blazing Nitromethane-Fueled Pursuit of Racing Glory," 10 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'threshold.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for threshold
threshold
noun
English Language Learners Definition of threshold
: a piece of wood, metal, or stone that forms the bottom of a door and that you walk over as you enter a room or building
: the point or level at which something begins or changes
See the full definition for threshold in the English Language Learners Dictionary
threshold
noun
thresh·old
| \ ˈthresh-ˌhōld
\
\
Kids Definition of threshold
1
: the sill of a door
2
: a point or place of beginning or entering
Ralph had a scary feeling he was on the threshold of adventure.— Beverly Cleary, The Mouse and the Motorcycle
threshold
noun
thresh·old
| \ ˈthresh-ˌ(h)ōld
\
\
Medical Definition of threshold
: 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
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threshold
noun
thresh·old
|