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
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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
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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:
Green party leader Zack Polanski said: "There are moments in life such as this sad time that transcend politics and I join the whole country in sending condolences."
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
"I really wanted to try to transcend the car racing," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Her demonstrable character helped her transcend race and class in ways that few artists can claim.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Kris is also a bit of a nervous wreck, though the character is scripted with an unfortunate mix of pedestrian mumbliness and tin-eared therapeutic explication that Ms. Einbinder struggles to transcend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Listen to me, Sikander. There are only two things that are truly infinite, that transcend time and space. Love is one of them."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Most importantly, the technology transcends stage gimmick and is essential to telling the story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
As Brazil’s first working-class president, his personal bond with poorer voters transcends his party’s brand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Stevie Wonder says “September” and its “ba-dee-yas” resonate with every kind of audience because they’re jubilant in a way that transcends language and cultural barriers.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
"The beauty of Shaun is it transcends borders and cultures because it doesn't rely on the spoken word," said Aardman's Managing Director Sean Clarke.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
And so the story of the Colorado farms and their damaged crops assumes a significance that transcends its local importance.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
While Loretta Lynn, Bobbie Gentry and Jeannie C. Riley began to change that image in the 1960s, Ms. Parton transcended countrypolitan Nashville by embracing her rural heritage, not smoothing it out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
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
Charlie has transcended a workhouse childhood to become a person of some culture—his favorite novelist is, ironically enough, that bard of extreme poverty, Charles Dickens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 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
We had transcended everything—death, fatigue, our natural needs.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
Students from across the country have joined the protests in Delhi, transcending caste, religion and regional identities.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Mr. Bennett is potty about footie, and like all mildly deranged fans of the Beautiful Game he sees it as transcending the boundaries of mere sport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 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
The human species, Huxley affirms, should embrace transhumanism: “man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature.”
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 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.
