transcendence
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transcendence
From the Medieval Latin word trānscendentia, dating back to 1595–1605. See transcendent, -ence
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Explanation
Transcendence is the act of rising above something to a superior state. If you were at a concert where the rock star jumped into the audience, the concert (and audience) may have achieved a state of transcendence. Transcendence comes from the Latin prefix trans-, meaning "beyond," and the word scandare, meaning "to climb." When you achieve transcendence, you have gone beyond ordinary limitations. The word is often used to describe a spiritual or religious state, or a condition of moving beyond physical needs and realities. One way to achieve transcendence spiritually might be to fast for a long time. If you have trouble letting go of material needs, then you will have a difficult time achieving transcendence.
Vocabulary lists containing transcendence
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 8
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The Fire Next Time
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I'll Give You the Sun
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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.
Mozart turns redemption into transcendence in “Figaro,” as a jealous yet philandering count finds his soul.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
“Summertime” has endured because it holds emotional resonance for us all: Who cannot identify with comfort, hope and transcendence?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
The series, now in its second season on Fox Nation, is the filmmaker’s effort to find relevance for everyday existence in human stories of sacrifice, heroism and faith that led to spiritual transcendence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
In “Gethsemane,” the path of suffering becomes clear, and Erivo’s transcendence was all the more worshipped by the audience for being painfully achieved.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2025
If his productions are merely almost transcendent, when the possibility of true transcendence exists somewhere nearby, waiting to be attained, then there is something else that must be done.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
