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threshold

/ˈθreʃoʊld/  ·  say it: THRESH·ohld

the point at which something begins

In Formal & Academic

the level at which something takes effect

In Nuance & Precision

the strip at the bottom of a doorway; an entrance point

In Architecture & Design

In more detail

1. (noun) the bottom of a doorway; the floor or ground at an entrance

2. (noun) the point at which something begins or starts to happen

3. (noun) a level or amount that must be reached before something happens

Examples

• 1. She stood on the threshold of the old house, looking inside.
• 2. We are on the threshold of a new era in technology.
• 3. The pain threshold is the point at which pain becomes unbearable.

Nearby in Formal & Academic

salient, synthesize, tenet, transcend, undermine, unequivocal