tran·sit
ˈtran(t)-sət 
ˈtran-zət
ˈtran-zət
1
a(1)
: conveyance of persons or things from one place to another
(2)
: usually local transportation especially of people by public conveyance
also
: vehicles or a system engaged in such transportation
b
: an act, process, or instance of passing through or over
c
: change, transition
2
a
: passage of a celestial body over the meridian of a place or through the field of a telescope
b
: passage of a smaller body (such as Venus) across the disk of a larger (such as the sun)
3
: a theodolite with the telescope mounted so that it can be transited
transited; transiting; transits
: to make a transit
1
a
: to pass over or through
b
: to cause to pass over or through
2
: to pass across (a meridian, a celestial body, or the field of view of a telescope)
3
: to turn (a telescope) over about the horizontal transverse axis in surveying
Synonyms
Examples of transit in a Sentence
Noun
the problems of urban transit
Verb
once you transit that stretch of dense woods, the hiking should be much easier
Recent Examples on the Web
Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2024
The upgrade to daily service comes as the transit concourse begins operations on the street level of The Couture, a 44-story, 322-unit high-rise that begins opening apartments this month.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
In better transit news, tunneling is complete for the Metro D Line expansion from Koreatown to the Westside, Caroline Petrow-Cohen reports.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Charlotte has struggled for years to find a way to fund its multi-billion dollar transit plan amid pushback from the state legislature over a potential sales tax increase.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
Had that happened a few months ago, police said, detectives at the scene would have coordinated with Metro transit police to download video surveillance and then comb through the footage to find the relevant feeds.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Utilities charge less for power overnight, and transit agencies impose higher fares during rush hour to encourage users to shift toward off-peak times, when energy and trains are in less demand.
—Lydia Depillis Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The transit team is surveying all lines and stations.
—NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Taiwan's major airports, ports, and railways are all operating normally in major cities, according to the Taiwan Tourism Administration, which noted transit capabilities may vary by region, especially in the eastern mountainous area.
—Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024
Aid flowing into Gaza has primarily transited the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024
The militant group has been launching attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war last October, disrupting shipping in the region.
—Greg Norman, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2024
The voyage then continues to India and the Middle East — current plans call for visits to Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — before transiting the Suez Canal.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024
That means much more simplified travel for international visitors, who would previously have to transit through the small town of Kangerlussuaq.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2024
But instead of transiting the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to reach its destination within a few days, the ship diverted around the Cape of Good Hope.
—Noam Raydan, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2024
Their attacks have raised insurance costs for commercial ships, which transit the Red Sea en route to the Suez Canal.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
Israel has been carrying out security checks on goods entering its own crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom but also on goods that passed through Israeli crossings before transiting onto Egypt’s entry point into Gaza, the Rafah crossing.
—Niamh Kennedy, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
Noun
The man, whose name was not released, was found unresponsive by a BART officer patrolling a train car about 8 p.m. at the Walnut Creek station, the transit agency said.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2024
The upgrade to daily service comes as the transit concourse begins operations on the street level of The Couture, a 44-story, 322-unit high-rise that begins opening apartments this month.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
In better transit news, tunneling is complete for the Metro D Line expansion from Koreatown to the Westside, Caroline Petrow-Cohen reports.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Charlotte has struggled for years to find a way to fund its multi-billion dollar transit plan amid pushback from the state legislature over a potential sales tax increase.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2024
Had that happened a few months ago, police said, detectives at the scene would have coordinated with Metro transit police to download video surveillance and then comb through the footage to find the relevant feeds.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Utilities charge less for power overnight, and transit agencies impose higher fares during rush hour to encourage users to shift toward off-peak times, when energy and trains are in less demand.
—Lydia Depillis Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The transit team is surveying all lines and stations.
—NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Taiwan's major airports, ports, and railways are all operating normally in major cities, according to the Taiwan Tourism Administration, which noted transit capabilities may vary by region, especially in the eastern mountainous area.
—Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
Verb
As the planet transits the star, starlight filters through it, allowing Webb to look for evidence of an atmosphere and even determine the planet’s atmospheric composition.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024
Aid flowing into Gaza has primarily transited the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024
The militant group has been launching attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war last October, disrupting shipping in the region.
—Greg Norman, Fox News, 29 Mar. 2024
The voyage then continues to India and the Middle East — current plans call for visits to Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — before transiting the Suez Canal.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024
That means much more simplified travel for international visitors, who would previously have to transit through the small town of Kangerlussuaq.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2024
But instead of transiting the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to reach its destination within a few days, the ship diverted around the Cape of Good Hope.
—Noam Raydan, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2024
Their attacks have raised insurance costs for commercial ships, which transit the Red Sea en route to the Suez Canal.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
Israel has been carrying out security checks on goods entering its own crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom but also on goods that passed through Israeli crossings before transiting onto Egypt’s entry point into Gaza, the Rafah crossing.
—Niamh Kennedy, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'transit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near transit
Cite this Entry
“Transit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transit. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
transit
1 of 2 noun
tran·sit
ˈtran(t)s-ət
ˈtranz-
ˈtranz-
1
: an act, process, or example of passing through or over : passage
2
: the transporting of persons or things from one place to another
goods lost in transit
3
: local transportation of people in public vehicles
also
: the vehicles or system used in such transportation
4
: a surveyor's instrument for measuring angles
transit
2 of 2 verb
: to pass or cause to pass over, through, or across
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