transubstantiation

American  

[tran-suhb-stan-shee-ey-shuhn] / ˌtræn səbˌstæn ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the changing of one substance into another.

2. Theology. the changing of the elements of the bread and wine, when they are consecrated in the Eucharist, into the body and blood of Christ (a doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church).

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transubstantiation British  

/ ˌtrænsəbˌstænʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. 1. the doctrine that the whole substance of the bread and wine changes into the substance of the body and blood of Christ when consecrated in the Eucharist

   2. the mystical process by which this is believed to take place during consecration Compare consubstantiation

2. a substantial change; transmutation

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transubstantiation Cultural  

1. According to the traditional teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, the presence of Jesus in the sacrament of Communion. Through transubstantiation, the bread and wine consumed by worshipers become the body and blood of Jesus when a priest, acting on Jesus' behalf, speaks the words “This is my body” and “This is my blood” over them.

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Discover More

Transubstantiation was the focus of a great controversy during the Reformation, because most other groups of Christians (see also Christian) do not maintain this doctrine. They usually hold that the body and blood of Jesus are only symbolically present in the bread and wine or that the bread and wine are the body and blood of Jesus and bread and wine at the same time.

Other Word Forms

• transubstantiationalist noun

Etymology

Origin of transubstantiation

1350–1400; Middle English transubstanciacioun < Medieval Latin trānssubstantiātiōn- (stem of trānssubstantiātiō ). See transubstantiate, -ion

Compare meaning

How does transubstantiation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• transubstantiation vs. consubstantiation

Explanation

Transubstantiation is a kind of mystical, unexplainable change in form, substance, or appearance. Medieval alchemists attempted the transubstantiation of lead into gold (unfortunately for them, that's not physically possible). In some Christian teachings, particularly those of Roman Catholicism, transubstantiation is what happens ordinary bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. To believers, although the food and drink appear to be the same after being consecrated by a priest, their true substance has transformed. This word comes from the Latin roots trans, "across or beyond," and substania, "substance."

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, in Germany, Martin Luther had questioned the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, the literal transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

He rejected the Catholic Church’s doctrine of transubstantiation.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

When the Protestant reformers in the 16th century rejected the Catholic teaching that the bread and wine substantively became the body and blood of Jesus, Catholic Church leaders affirmed the teaching, called transubstantiation.

From New York Times • Jun. 26, 2021

If the priest confined his sermons to “purely theological issues,” he might still be allowed to purchase airtime, but the doctrine of transubstantiation was never his preferred topic.

From Slate • Jan. 21, 2021

Though they believed in transubstantiation, they denied that it could be effected by sinful priests.

From A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages; volume II by Lea, Henry Charles