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.
The other two companies, which have yet to publicly confirm the news, could be privately held Usona Institute and Transcend.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
At Transcend, we recently surveyed more than 100,000 students; nearly two thirds said that school feels irrelevant and offers them few opportunities for agency and choice.
From Salon • Dec. 12, 2024
In March, Highland Transcend and Packable said the companies had agreed to end the merger due to “current unfavorable market conditions.”
From Seattle Times • Aug. 24, 2022
Today, in gadgets we’ve seen before but recent events have elevated in relevance, Transcend has announced a new 1TB SD card for MacBooks: the JetDrive Lite 330.
From The Verge • Apr. 22, 2022
And lately with emotions which Transcend the power of rhymes I've scanned with reverential eye Those highly-favoured climes Ennobled by the presence of The ruler of the T***s.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 153, July 11, 1917 by Various
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.
