transcend
Americanverb (used with object)
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to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed.
to transcend the limits of thought; kindness transcends courtesy.
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to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc.; surpass; excel.
- Synonyms:
- outstrip
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Theology. (of the Deity) to be above and independent of (the universe, time, etc.).
verb (used without object)
verb
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to go above or beyond (a limit, expectation, etc), as in degree or excellence
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(tr) to be superior to
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philosophy theol (esp of the Deity) to exist beyond (the material world)
Other Word Forms
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.
“Brigadoon” manages to transcend time, but this take on “Flower Drum Song” falters between eras.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
But some things do transcend borders - like the need for gossip.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
“I have lived the life of man, I live now the life of woman, and one day perhaps I shall transcend both,” Morris wrote in “Conundrum,” a 1974 memoir.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
People have wildly different views on Israel, for example, but in the big tent there are other issues that are larger, that transcend that.
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
And I’m thinking, But why do I have to transcend race?
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
