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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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transcendsimple
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transcendssimple
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have transcendedperfect
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has transcendedperfect
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am transcendingprogressive
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are transcendingprogressive
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is transcendingprogressive
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have been transcendingperfect progressive
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has been transcendingperfect progressive
Past
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transcendedsimple
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had transcendedperfect
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was transcendingprogressive
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were transcendingprogressive
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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.
But DC’s latest installment lands like a big hunk of Kryptonite for the dream of a superhero franchise that can transcend the genre’s clichés, Slate’s Dana Stevens writes.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
At a summit in Beijing last month, Xi Jinping asked Donald Trump if the countries could "transcend the so-called 'Thucydides Trap' and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations".
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
Like all of those after-school specials, there’s a distinct element of gratitude that helps the film transcend accusations of corniness or caricature.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
Rush may be onto one of its most significant chapters, the one that extends beyond them, in which their music will bond generations and even transcend death.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
And his efforts to ignore it, transcend it, seemed to work only when he spent his days looking for whatever was light-hearted and without grave consequences.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
