Jump To:

• trans*
  trans*

  adjective

  of or relating to people with gender expressions outside traditional norms, as transgender, genderqueer, agender, or nonbinary: campus groups that welcome trans* students.
• trans
  trans

  adjective

  transgender.
• trans-
  trans-

  a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin (transcend; transfix ); on this model, used with the meanings “across,” “beyond,” “through,” “changing thoroughly,” “transverse,” in combination with elements of any origin: transisthmian; trans-Siberian; transempirical; transvalue.
• trans.
  trans.

  abbreviation

  transaction.

trans*

¹ American  

[trans, tranz, trans stahr, trans as-ter-isk, tranz as‐] / træns, trænz, ˈtræns ˈstɑr, ˈtræns ˈæs tər ɪsk, ˈtrænz ˈæs‐ /

adjective

1. of or relating to people with gender expressions outside traditional norms, as transgender, genderqueer, agender, or nonbinary: campus groups that welcome trans* students.

   important trans* issues;

   campus groups that welcome trans* students.

---

noun

1. Usually Offensive. a person with a gender identity outside traditional gender norms.

trans ² American  

[trans, tranz] / træns, trænz /

adjective

1. transgender.

   Their son is trans.

   Laura is a trans woman.

2. (no longer in common use) transsexual.

---

noun

• transes,
  plural
• trans
  plural

1. Usually Offensive. a person who is transgender.

trans- ³ American  

1. a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin (transcend; transfix ); on this model, used with the meanings “across,” “beyond,” “through,” “changing thoroughly,” “transverse,” in combination with elements of any origin: transisthmian; trans-Siberian; transempirical; transvalue.

2. Chemistry. a prefix denoting a geometric isomer having a pair of identical atoms or groups on the opposite sides of two atoms linked by a double bond.

3. Astronomy. a prefix denoting something farther from the sun (than a given planet): trans-Martian; trans-Neptunian.

4. a prefix meaning “on the other side of,” referring to the misalignment of one’s gender identity with one's sex assigned at birth: transgender.

---

trans. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. transaction.

2. transfer.

3. transferred.

4. transformer.

5. transit.

6. transitive.

7. translated.

8. translation.

9. translator.

10. transparent.

11. transportation.

12. transpose.

13. transverse.

---

trans. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. transaction

2. transferred

3. transitive

4. translated

5. translator

---

trans- ² British  

prefix

1. across, beyond, crossing, on the other side

   transoceanic

   trans-Siberian

   transatlantic

2. changing thoroughly

   transliterate

3. transcending

   transubstantiation

4. transversely

   transect

5. (often in italics) indicating that a chemical compound has a molecular structure in which two groups or atoms are on opposite sides of a double bond Compare cis-

   trans-butadiene

---

Sensitive Note

See trans, transgender.

The terms transgender and trans are generally accepted as interchangeable. However, some people prefer the shortened adjective trans to avoid any reference to assigned sex or binary gender in this inclusive identity label. Many transgender people prefer writing trans compounds as two words, as in trans man, trans woman, and trans person. When so written as an open compound with a space, trans functions as an adjective modifying a noun such as man. Spelling these words as closed or hyphenated compounds, as in transmale and trans-people, loses the distinction between trans as a descriptive adjective and man, woman, or person as a human being. Similarly, cis male and cis female are the preferred spelling of these terms. See also transgender.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• trans
  plural
• transes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of trans*¹

First recorded in 2000–05; by shortening of transgender ( def. )

Origin of trans²

First recorded in 1970–75; by shortening

Origin of trans-³

From Latin, combining form of trāns (adverb and preposition) “across, beyond, through”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trans* trans trans- trans.

In 2020 it felt as if trans rights were on the march.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

Writing from Bree’s perspective, Parton beautifully captures the isolation that is so often part of the trans experience.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

Roan, long outspoken on LGBTQ+ rights issues, will throw the Super Graphic Spectacular concert at the Shrine in Los Angeles on Oct. 21-22, benefiting trans youth through Roan’s Midwest Princess Project.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Despite her close proximity to Pence as a trans woman, Curlee noted that his views did not impact her work.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

I got to my feet: minor spraining of the sub ... trans ... damn, what was that called?

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

And he ruled in favor of the trans and gay workers.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

The trio stops for a lively trans poetry reading.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Despite her close proximity to Pence as a trans woman, Curlee noted that his views did not impact her work.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

For some, the focus on trans rights is a reason to step back from Pride; for others, it underscores why events like Sparkle matter.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Few people knew his trans status—he kept it on the down low.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

Less than forty years elapsed between the Portuguese settlement of São Tomé and Príncipe and the first trans- Atlantic voyages of African captives who were sold into slavery in the Americas.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

The prefix trans- still implies movement, change, transition, which is a valid component of identity for many transgender individuals.

From Slate ● May 14, 2018

We ultimately got Charlie’s case trans- ferred to juvenile court, where the shooting was adjudicated as a juve- nile offense.

From MSNBC ● Oct. 22, 2014

Delta also said today it would reduce seating capacity by 4 percentage points in 2011’s second half, especially in markets where “revenue has not kept pace with fuel” such as the trans- Atlantic.

From BusinessWeek ● Mar. 22, 2011

The other joint-stock banks of London trans- act their business in all respects in the same manner as the Bank of England.

From Everybody's Guide to Money Matters: with a description of the various investments chiefly dealt in on the stock exchange, and the mode of dealing therein by William Cotton

“But it would be years before I came out as gay, years before I came out as trans. Narratives have been my way of exploring those identities, even as allegory.”

From New York Times ● Jun. 30, 2023

‘Oh, maybe I’m trans. Why don’t I explore that?’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2023

"So you're trans. Weird way to come out, but good on you," new product strategy & development professional Tom Coates added.

From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2022

“There is nothing wrong or dirty about being trans. It’s just a part of us that we live with.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 23, 2022

Bechhold, H., trans. by Bullowa, J. G. M.—"Colloids in Biology and Medicine," 463 pages, 54 figs.,

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher