transcend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed.
to transcend the limits of thought; kindness transcends courtesy.
-
to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc.; surpass; excel.
- Synonyms:
- outstrip
-
Theology. (of the Deity) to be above and independent of (the universe, time, etc.).
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to go above or beyond (a limit, expectation, etc), as in degree or excellence
-
(tr) to be superior to
-
philosophy theol (esp of the Deity) to exist beyond (the material world)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
transcendsimple
-
transcendssimple
-
have transcendedperfect
-
has transcendedperfect
-
am transcendingprogressive
-
are transcendingprogressive
-
is transcendingprogressive
-
have been transcendingperfect progressive
-
has been transcendingperfect progressive
Past
-
transcendedsimple
-
had transcendedperfect
-
was transcendingprogressive
-
were transcendingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
American Born Chinese
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Book Thief
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Many have worked and trained alongside each other for years, forming bonds that transcend cultures and languages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
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
If we were truly going to emulate the Freedom Riders, then our writing must transcend the walls of Room 203 and our individual plights and become a universal message.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Support for recess transcends party lines and geography.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
And with fame and status that transcends the game, Martinez seemingly dared not drop him.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
At 82, he sits with perfect posture, possessing an elegance that transcends our threadbare surroundings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
This sport transcends race, class, nationality, language, and religion.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026
This makes Dowland’s contribution, like Shakespeare’s, something very different from what had gone before: his work has a universal appeal that transcends its age.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Tony Blair, the British prime minister, declared in 2005 that to debate globalization, which he believed transcended the world of nation-states, was like discussing “whether autumn should follow summer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
He believed that the Jews had spiritually transcended the need for territory and should seek limited autonomy where they lived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Khichuri was so beloved that its influence later transcended geographical boundaries and cultures.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
In the case of “Brigadoon,” Lerner and Loewe composed a musical that recognized the global scar of World War II, and in its insistence that love transcended loss, gave people the catharsis they needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026
In the square, they wrung out their clothes and assessed each other for bruises, and for a moment, the giddy pleasure of not being dead transcended everything.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Students from across the country have joined the protests in Delhi, transcending caste, religion and regional identities.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
On “Love You Right,” a track with deep bass and a gospel-inflected piano line, her voice builds to a wild howl as she sings about how human connection makes transcending hardship possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
It is a rivalry that has defined the last two decades of football, transcending clubs, countries and competitions to reshape how the game has been played, consumed and debated across the world.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
The human species, Huxley affirms, should embrace transhumanism: “man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature.”
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2025
Crowd, heat, bad quarters, bad fare, bad smells, mosquitoes, and a plague of flies transcending everything within my experience.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
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.
