trans

1 of 3

adjective

ˈtran(t)s  ˈtranz 

1

: transgender

The Affordable Care Act included trans health care in many places and that was a remarkable step in the right direction for trans people, but in some ways it still remained difficult to receive personalized and comprehensive transgender healthcare.

—Alexa Corazón

Note: While the word trans has been used as a shortened version of both transgender and transsexual, the word transsexual is dated and sometimes offensive. The word transgender is preferred.

2

chemistry : characterized by having certain groups of atoms on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of a double bond or of the plane of a ring in a molecule

3

genetics : relating to or being an arrangement of two very closely linked genes in the heterozygous condition in which one mutant allele and one wild-type allele are on each of the two homologous chromosomes compare cis sense 3

trans

2 of 3

abbreviation

1

transaction

2

transitive

3

translated; translation; translator

4

transmission

5

transportation

6

transverse

trans-

3 of 3

prefix

1

: on or to the other side of : across : beyond

transatlantic

2

a

: beyond (a specified chemical element) in the periodic table

transuranium

b

: trans

trans-fatty acid

compare cis- sense 2

3

: through

transcutaneous

4

: so or such as to change or transfer

transliterate

translocation

transamination

transship

Examples of trans in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In his first speech since being elected to lead Germany earlier this year, Merz called on his nation and the wider continent to take a more aggressive posture defending their interests amid changes in the trans-Atlantic alliance. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 31 Dec. 2025

The shipping line’s president expects freight rates on both the Asia-to-Europe and trans-Pacific trade lanes to fluctuate throughout the year, but will start with a rebound into the Lunar New Year starting in mid-February. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 29 Dec. 2025

But the question of when a grammatically trans term deserves a dictionary entry remains unsettled. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025

Because genre and gender come from the same root, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich has chosen a trans-genre approach to write a transgender story. —Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

(sense 1) by shortening of transgender or transsexual; (senses 2 & 3) from the prefix trans-

Prefix

Latin trans-, tra- across, beyond, through, so as to change, from trans across, beyond — more at through entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing trans

• trans exclusionary radical feminism
• trans-fat
• trans man
• trans woman

Rhymes for trans

• banns
• bans
• cans
• clans
• fans
• franz
• ganz
• glans
• mans
• pans
• plans
• rans

Kids Definition

trans-

prefix

1

: on or to the other side of : across : beyond

transatlantic

2

: so or such as to change in form or position or transfer

transliterate

Etymology

Prefix

derived from Latin trans- "across, beyond, so as to change"

Medical Definition

trans

adjective

ˈtran(t)s  ˈtranz 

1

: characterized by or having certain groups of atoms on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of a double bond or of the plane of a ring in a molecule see all-trans

2

: relating to or being an arrangement of two very closely linked genes in the heterozygous condition in which one mutant allele and one wild-type allele are on each of the two homologous chromosomes compare cis sense 2