Thanks for all the suggestions. To clarify, I'm looking for a verb to be used.
Let's say you have a threshold that is an upper limit. We can indicate with an economy of language that the threshold was passed AND that it was passed going in the direction that might offer some indication. "The threshold was exceeded." I *think* most people would infer that the threshold in this case is an upper threshold or an upper limit. So it's not just that this boundary condition was crossed, but the direction that was taken that I want to convey.
However, there are many cases when we have a lower threshold or a lower limit. If a measurement (say from a sensor) were to fall below that limit, it would be nice to say "the threshold was exceeded" or "the lower threshold was exceeded" - and I vaguely recall having seen that usage, although that could be a false memory. In any case, it's a little jarring to my ears.
As Buffalo noted, I could have said something like, "the measurement fell below the minimum threshold." It's a little wordy, but it's clear and it's also what I decided to use until I find something just as clear, but more concise. I would like to say "the threshold was X" (where X is a past tense verb).
It's not a huge deal, but if there is a better way of expressing it, I would like to know.
Last edited by TheFallibleFiend; 10/14/10 02:15 PM.
