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

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-dichloro-ethylene
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
Rowling has come under fire in recent years for her views surrounding the transgender community, particularly trans women, which many have perceived as anti-trans. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Indy Girls Rock is a day camp for girls, non-binary and trans youth ages 9-16. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Cline isn’t the first to face backlash for appearing to falsely suggest someone is trans. Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 Opponents noted that not all states allow people to change their birth certificates and many trans people don't want to have surgery. Amy Beth Hanson The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 28 Jan. 2024 But as a trans Navajo writer-director who once encountered investors asking her to cast white characters for Drunktown‘s Finest, Freeland was familiar with how certain Hollywood artists can struggle to find institutional support in and on the job. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Jan. 2024 Ninety-four percent of the victims were trans feminine people or transgender women — meaning they were not assigned female at birth — and three-quarters were younger adults, between the ages of 19 and 40. C Mandler, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023 The vast majority of those killed (94%) were trans women or trans-feminine people. Jamie Wareham, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Its tone, its inclusivity — Rose is trans, and Donna is fiercely protective of her amid bullying from other neighborhood kids, while UNIT scientist Shirley (Ruth Madeley) uses a wheelchair that can fire tranquilizer darts and rockets — and in its preference for emotional resonance over hard sci-fi. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trans.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of trans was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near trans

Cite this Entry

“Trans.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trans. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on trans

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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