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.
A greatest hits of humanity’s current fears forms the backdrop to a complex, woozy tale—mostly realist, with brief incursions into phantasmagoria—of doomerism and heartache, wealth and greed, art, transcendence and spiritual reckoning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Spanning the two, Scott arrives at a performance of pure transcendence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
But that transcendence requires preservation and education, according to Holly Kafka, visiting Manhattan from Chicago with her husband.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
So with Spielberg once again looking skyward, we decided to revisit the director’s long cinematic relationship with aliens, as figures of astonishment, terror, transcendence and, occasionally, giant crystal skulls from another dimension.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
We have a higher self, a capacity for transcendence.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
