Meanings
present singular third person transcends · participle present transcending · participle past transcended · past transcended
- transitiveTo pass beyond the limits of something.
We cannot transcend what we refuse to face.
2 more examples
such personal popes, emperors, or elective kings, as shall transcend their limits
a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLCShepard: What do you want from us? Slaves? Resources? My kind transcends your very understanding. We are each a nation. Independent, free of all weakness. You cannot grasp the nature of our existence.
2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: VirmireSynonyms: exceed
- obsoleteTo climb; to mount.
lights in the heavens transcending the region of the clouds
1 more example
your Muse soars up to the upper, and transcending that too, takes her fight among the Celestial bodies
1655, James Howell, “To Sir Tho. Haw.”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume (please specify the page), London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], →OCLCSynonyms: ascend
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo pass beyond the limits of something.
verbTo surpass, as in intensity or power; to excel.
verbTo climb; to mount.
More synonyms by meaning
verbbe superior or better than some standard
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latintranscendō“to climb over, step over, surpass, transcend”
- Old Frenchtranscender
- Middle Englishtranscenden
- Englishtranscend
From Middle English transcenden, from Old French transcender, from Latin transcendō (“to climb over, step over, surpass, transcend”), from trans (“over”) + scandō (“to climb”); see scan; compare ascend, descend.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian надхвърлям, превишавам
- надхвърлям (nadhvărljam)to pass beyond the limits of something
- превишавам (previšavam)to pass beyond the limits of something
- превъзхождам (prevăzhoždam)to surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
Catalan ultrapassar, transcendir
- ultrapassarto pass beyond the limits of something
- transcendirto pass beyond the limits of something
- ultrapassarto surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
- transcendirto surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
Chinese Mandarin 超越, 超越
- 超越 (chāoyuè)to pass beyond the limits of something
- 超越 (chāoyuè)to surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
Czech překonat
- překonatto pass beyond the limits of something
Dutch overstijgen
- overstijgento pass beyond the limits of something
Esperanto transcendi
- transcendito pass beyond the limits of something
Finnish ylittää, ylittää
- ylittääto pass beyond the limits of something
- ylittääto surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
French transcender
- transcenderto pass beyond the limits of something
German übersteigen, überschreiten
- übersteigento pass beyond the limits of something
- überschreitento pass beyond the limits of something
Latin supero
- superoto pass beyond the limits of something
Portuguese transcender
- transcenderto pass beyond the limits of something
Russian переступа́ть преде́лы, превосходи́ть
- переступа́ть преде́лы (perestupátʹ predély)to pass beyond the limits of something
- превосходи́ть (prevosxodítʹ)to surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
- превыша́ть (prevyšátʹ)to surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
Spanish trascender, transcender
- trascenderto pass beyond the limits of something
- transcenderto pass beyond the limits of something
- sobrepasarto surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
- superarto surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
Swahili shinda
- shindato surpass something in intensity or power; to excel
Thai ก้าวข้าม
- ก้าวข้ามto pass beyond the limits of something
Turkish aşmak
- aşmakto pass beyond the limits of something
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with transcend
Cite this entry
transcend. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transcend
“transcend.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transcend. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “transcend,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transcend.
Source: transcend on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.