transcend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
transcends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
transcended,
past participle, past
-
transcending
present participle
-
to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed.
to transcend the limits of thought; kindness transcends courtesy.
-
to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc.; surpass; excel.
- Synonyms:
- outstrip
-
Theology. (of the Deity) to be above and independent of (the universe, time, etc.).
verb (used without object)
-
transcends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
transcended,
past participle, past
-
transcending
present participle
verb
-
to go above or beyond (a limit, expectation, etc), as in degree or excellence
-
(tr) to be superior to
-
philosophy theol (esp of the Deity) to exist beyond (the material world)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
transcendsimple
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transcendssimple
-
have transcendedperfect
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has transcendedperfect
-
am transcendingprogressive
-
are transcendingprogressive
-
is transcendingprogressive
-
have been transcendingperfect progressive
-
has been transcendingperfect progressive
Past
-
transcendedsimple
-
had transcendedperfect
-
was transcendingprogressive
-
were transcendingprogressive
-
had been transcendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of transcend
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin trānscendere “to surmount,” from trāns- trans- + -scendere (combining form of scandere “to climb”)
Explanation
It would be nice to transcend the narrow limits of this brief definition, and go to greater lengths to describe this word's glories! Transcend means to move upward and beyond something. No doubt you know about the words transcontinental or maybe trans fats? The prefix trans is used to mean "beyond, across" and transcend takes this even further by adding in a sense of upwardness with the stem cend. A pop artist with a lot of talent might transcend the genre of pop. You can't assume a person's opinion on national security by party affiliation — it often transcends party lines.
Vocabulary lists containing transcend
Grade 9, List 6
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American Born Chinese
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The Book Thief
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"The Hundred has given us the chance to really transcend what's a difficult and fairly challenging macroeconomic environment and take us in a different direction," he says.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
But DC’s latest installment lands like a big hunk of Kryptonite for the dream of a superhero franchise that can transcend the genre’s clichés, Slate’s Dana Stevens writes.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
At a summit in Beijing last month, Xi Jinping asked Donald Trump if the countries could "transcend the so-called 'Thucydides Trap' and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations".
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Rush may be onto one of its most significant chapters, the one that extends beyond them, in which their music will bond generations and even transcend death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
If we were truly going to emulate the Freedom Riders, then our writing must transcend the walls of Room 203 and our individual plights and become a universal message.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Talarico’s Christianity celebrates pluralism, affirms LGBTQ+ individuals and believes God transcends all partisan divisions.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Beckham transcends clubs, generations and even football itself.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
At 82, he sits with perfect posture, possessing an elegance that transcends our threadbare surroundings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
This sport transcends race, class, nationality, language, and religion.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026
This makes Dowland’s contribution, like Shakespeare’s, something very different from what had gone before: his work has a universal appeal that transcends its age.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Smith Jr. came to San Diego as a fearsome linebacker who made two Pro Bowls, yet he transcended football through his infectious personality and devotion to his adopted city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Tony Blair, the British prime minister, declared in 2005 that to debate globalization, which he believed transcended the world of nation-states, was like discussing “whether autumn should follow summer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
But where other artists might have spiraled, White and his compatriots transcended, turning inward while also looking to the stars.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
"He transcended social and caste hierarchies through his music," says Krishna.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
The feeling of looking at things with a painful and unwarrantable nakedness was an experience, I learned, that transcended national and racial boundaries.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
This interests him in literature too — transcending reputation through good art.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Manjusri, with a calm smile, gently raises his hand to counter that the true nonmaterial essence of the Buddha can never be comprehended before transcending the material world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Students from across the country have joined the protests in Delhi, transcending caste, religion and regional identities.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Major international sporting events embody a spirit of unity and dialogue, transcending differences and divisions," said a statement from world cycling's governing body.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2025
Crowd, heat, bad quarters, bad fare, bad smells, mosquitoes, and a plague of flies transcending everything within my experience.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
