Meanings
nountransubstantiation (countable and uncountable, plural transubstantiations)
plural transubstantiations
- countableuncountableCatholicismThe doctrine holding that the bread and wine of the Eucharist are essentially transformed into the body and blood of Jesus.
I was openly dismissive about transubstantiation, by which the host is consecrated, and according to Catholic doctrine, literally turns from mere bread into the body of Christ. “But all the atoms stay the same!” I would insist. “That makes no sense!”
2020 July 6, Helen Lewis, “How J. K. Rowling Became Voldemort”, in The Atlantic - broadlycountableuncountableConversion of one substance into another.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan act that changes the form or character or substance of something
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*terh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*térh₂t
- Proto-Indo-European*tr̥h₂ónts
- Proto-Indo-European*tr̥h₂n̥ts
- Proto-Italic*trāns
- Proto-Italic*trāns-
- Latintrāns-
- Proto-Indo-European*upó
- Proto-Italic*supo
- Latinsub
- Latinsub-
- Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*sth₂éh₁yeti
- Proto-Italic*staējō
- Proto-Italic*staēō
- Latinstō
- Latinsubstantis
- Latinsubstantia
- Latintrānsubstantiō
- Medieval Latintrānsubstantiātiō
- Englishtransubstantiation
Borrowed from Medieval Latin trānsubstantiātiō.
More words from Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 實體轉變 /实体转变, 實體變換 /实体变换
- 實體轉變 /实体转变 (shítǐ zhuǎnbiàn)Roman Catholic dogma
- 實體變換 /实体变换 (shítǐ biànhuà)conversion of one substance into another
- 變質 /变质 (biànzhì)conversion of one substance into another
- 物質的改變 /物质的改变 (wùzhì de gǎibiàn)conversion of one substance into another
Finnish transsubstantiaatio, muuntuminen
- transsubstantiaatioRoman Catholic dogma
- muuntuminenconversion of one substance into another
French transsubstantiation
- transsubstantiationRoman Catholic dogma
German Transsubstantiation, Wesensverwandlung
- TranssubstantiationRoman Catholic dogma
- Wesensverwandlungconversion of one substance into another
Greek μετουσίωση
- μετουσίωση (metousíosi)conversion of one substance into another
Hungarian transzszubsztanciáció, átlényegülés
- transzszubsztanciációRoman Catholic dogma
- átlényegülésRoman Catholic dogma
- átváltozásconversion of one substance into another
- átváltoztatásconversion of one substance into another
Icelandic eðlisbreyting, gjörbreyting
- eðlisbreytingRoman Catholic dogma
- gjörbreytingRoman Catholic dogma
- eðlisbreytingarkenninginRoman Catholic dogma
- ummyndunconversion of one substance into another
- myndbreytingconversion of one substance into another
Indonesian transubstansiasi, transubstansiasi
- transubstansiasiRoman Catholic dogma
- transubstansiasiconversion of one substance into another
Italian transustanziazione
- transustanziazioneRoman Catholic dogma
Japanese 聖変化, 変質
- 聖変化 (seihenka)Roman Catholic dogma
- 変質conversion of one substance into another
Korean 성변화
- 성변화 (seongbyeonhwa)Roman Catholic dogma
Latin trānsubstantiātiō, trānsmūtātiō
- trānsubstantiātiōRoman Catholic dogma
- trānsmūtātiōconversion of one substance into another
Malay transubstansi
- transubstansiconversion of one substance into another
Māori whakaahuakētanga
- whakaahuakētangaconversion of one substance into another
Norwegian Bokmål transsubstansiasjon
- transsubstansiasjonRoman Catholic dogma
Polish transsubstancjacja, przeistoczenie
- transsubstancjacjaRoman Catholic dogma
- przeistoczenieRoman Catholic dogma
Portuguese transubstanciação
- transubstanciaçãoRoman Catholic dogma
Romanian transsubstianțiere, transsubstianțiațiune
- transsubstianțiereRoman Catholic dogma
- transsubstianțiațiuneRoman Catholic dogma
- transsubstanțiereconversion of one substance into another
- transsubstanțiațieconversion of one substance into another
Russian пресуществле́ние, пресуществление
- пресуществле́ние (presuščestvlénije)Roman Catholic dogma
- пресуществление (presuščestvlenije)conversion of one substance into another
Spanish transubstanciación, transubstanciación
- transubstanciaciónRoman Catholic dogma
- transubstanciaciónconversion of one substance into another
Turkish özgeriş, transübsitasyon
- özgerişRoman Catholic dogma
- transübsitasyonRoman Catholic dogma
- özgerişconversion of one substance into another
- transübsitasyonconversion of one substance into another
Ukrainian переісто́чення, переосутнення
- переісто́чення (pereistóčennja)Roman Catholic dogma
- переосутнення (pereosutnennja)Roman Catholic dogma
- преосуществління (preosuščestvlinnja)Roman Catholic dogma
- транссубстанціація (transsubstanciacija)Roman Catholic dogma
Cite this entry
APA
transubstantiation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transubstantiation
MLA
“transubstantiation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transubstantiation. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “transubstantiation,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transubstantiation.
Source: transubstantiation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.