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Definition of "transcend" []

  • To pass beyond the limits of: emotions that transcend understanding. (verb-transitive)
  • To be greater than, as in intensity or power; surpass: love that transcends infatuation. See Synonyms at excel. (verb-transitive)
  • To exist above and independent of (material experience or the universe): "One never can see the thing in itself, because the mind does not transcend phenomena” ( Hilaire Belloc). (verb-transitive)
  • To be transcendent; excel. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "transcend" in a sentence
  • "To transcend is to become transparent, clear, open."
  • "We look forward to working with them as we transcend from the shuttle to our future exploration of space, and continue the important engineering and scientific discoveries aboard the International Space Station."
  • "To transcend is to go beyond and penetrate the mundane into a deeper truth or trust."