transact
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Synonym Usage
See perform.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has transactedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have transactedperfect
-
is transactingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
transactingparticiple
-
has been transactingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
transactssingular 3rd person
-
have been transactingperfect progressive
-
are transactingprogressive
-
am transactingprogressive 1st person singular
Past
-
had transactedperfect
-
transactedparticiple
-
was transactingprogressive singular
-
transactedsimple
-
had been transactingperfect progressive
-
were transactingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of transact
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin trānsāctus (past participle of trānsigere “to carry out, accomplish”), equivalent to trāns- “across, beyond, through” + ag(ere) “to drive, lead” + -tus past participle suffix; see trans-
Explanation
The verb transact is almost always used with the word "business." To transact business is to conduct it, as when a shopkeeper sells groceries to a customer. All kinds of business owners and workers transact business, just by following their usual routines of selling, buying, investing, trading, or anything else they do to carry out their work. Shoppers also participate in transacting business — a purchase can also be called a transaction. The Latin root word, transactus, means "to drive through or accomplish."
Vocabulary lists containing transact
Power Prefix: trans-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: trans-
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
trans-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The Treasury Department also issued a license to allow U.S. entities to transact with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, a move to “reopen and restore” that nation’s energy sector, according to a post on X.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
Such a designation threatens Anthropic’s ability to transact with companies doing business with the U.S. government.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
“Our path to profitability is clear: transact with more sellers, strengthen our unit economics through better pricing and resale speed, and drive operational efficiency by being ruthless on expenses,” Nejatian said.
From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025
“These are people who are in the United States legally and need active Social Security numbers in order to work and transact personal business,” Richtman says.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2025
To stay alive, you have to be able to hold out against equilibrium, maintain imbalance, bank against entropy, and you can only transact this business with membranes in our kind of world.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
