transcontinental
Americanadjective
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passing or extending across a continent.
a transcontinental railroad.
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on the other, or far, side of a continent.
adjective
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crossing a continent
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on or from the far side of a continent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transcontinental
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; trans- + continental
Explanation
When you fly from New York to California, you can describe your flight as transcontinental, crossing the continent of North America. Use the adjective transcontinental when something goes from one side of a continent to the other, like the European transcontinental railroad called the Orient Express or an airplane flight across Asia. In the nineteenth century, the First Transcontinental Railroad was built in the United States. As well as being the first railway to cross an entire continent, it also marked the coining of the word transcontinental, from trans, "across," and continental, "of a continent."
Vocabulary lists containing transcontinental
Power Prefix: trans-
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American History I
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STAAR U.S. History 1
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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.
Find insight on SAP, Transcontinental, Nintendo and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Transcontinental airfare prices more than doubled, Caribbean flight prices spiked 57.9%, Florida fares rose 42.9%, and transatlantic flight prices increased 39.4%.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
The new company would be called Union Pacific Transcontinental Railroad and have its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.
From BBC • Jul. 29, 2025
Kevin Waite is an associate professor of history at Durham University and the author of “West of Slavery: The Southern Dream of a Transcontinental Empire.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2024
And when Mr. Barber asked, “Who would like to do the Transcontinental Railroad in the United States?”
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
