threshold
Where entering begins
A threshold is the strip of wood or stone at the bottom of a doorway—the boundary you cross when entering.
From this concrete sense comes the figurative: a threshold is any point of transition or beginning.
The threshold of adulthood, the threshold of war.
In technical use, a threshold is the level at which something begins to happen or take effect: pain threshold, tax threshold, The noise exceeded the threshold for hearing damage.
Entrance's bottom ledge
- sillWindow's bottom ledge
- entrancePoint of access
- entrywayPassage serving as entrance
- door frameEntry's structural surround
lintel · foyer · vestibule · welcome mat · crossing · passage · ingress · portal
Outer edge or limit
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- demarcationFormal boundary setting
- dividing lineBoundary between regions
- frontierEdge of settlement
perimeter · margin · verge · brink · periphery · borderline · cusp · interface
Decisive moment of change
- crossroadsMeeting of routes
- precipiceSteep rock face
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- milestoneNotable event marking progress
watershed · inflection point · tipping point · onset · brink · verge · cusp · dawn
Smallest possible quantity
- maximumGreatest permitted quantity
- capCovering for top
- ceilingRoom's upper surface
- cutoffPoint of termination
baseline · tolerance · sensitivity · criterion · benchmark · requirement · quota · floor
Initial point of something
- inceptionFounding moment
- genesisPoint of creation
- commencementAct of starting
- starting pointPlace of commencement
launch · kickoff · dawn · origin · debut · inauguration · advent · emergence
doorstep
Entrance's bottom ledge
door frame · lintel · foyer · vestibule · welcome mat · crossing · passage · ingress · portal · gateway
border
Outer edge or limit
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- demarcationFormal boundary setting
- dividing lineBoundary between regions
frontier · perimeter · margin · verge · brink · periphery · borderline · cusp · interface · juncture
turning point
Decisive moment of change
- crossroadsMeeting of routes
- precipiceSteep rock face
- breakthroughSudden important advance
milestone · watershed · inflection point · tipping point · onset · brink · verge · cusp · dawn · eve
minimum
Smallest possible quantity
cutoff · baseline · tolerance · sensitivity · criterion · benchmark · requirement · quota · floor · margin
outset
Initial point of something
- inceptionFounding moment
- genesisPoint of creation
- commencementAct of starting
starting point · launch · kickoff · dawn · origin · debut · inauguration · advent · emergence · initiation
- limitslimit, limits, limitation, upper limit, lower limit
- standardsstandard, standards, norm, norms, criterion
- boundariesboundary, boundary line, borders, border, edges
- turning pointsturning point, defining moment, pivotal event, pivotal moment, crossroads
- data patternstrend, spike, outlier, cluster, gap
- borderlandsborderland, borderlands, border, border zone, border region
thresholdend
Final portion or cessation
conclusion · ending · finish · finale · termination
thresholdceiling
Room's upper surface
maximum · upper limit · cap · saturation point · peak
- pain thresholdsLevels where sensation becomes distress
- thresholds of perceptionSmallest detectable stimulus levels
- hearing thresholdFaintest audible intensity
- below the threshold
- sensory thresholdMinimum stimulus for perception
- electoral thresholdMinimum vote share required