transcendent

adjective tran·scen·dent \ -dənt \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of transcendent

1 a : exceeding usual limits : surpassing

b : extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience

c in Kantian philosophy : being beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge

2 : being beyond comprehension

3 : transcending the universe or material existence — compare immanent 2

4 : universally applicable or significant

the antislavery movement … recognized the transcendent importance of liberty
—L. H. Tribe

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transcendently

adverb

See transcendent defined for English-language learners

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Examples of transcendent in a Sentence

a firm belief in angels, demons, and other transcendent beings
the star player's transcendent performance helped the team to a surprise victory

Recent Examples of transcendent from the Web

Of course, having a transcendent talent in Higgins has been equally valuable.

— nate weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, "Hingham is all in for a run in D1 boys’ lacrosse," 9 Apr. 2018
The Coyotes tanked a season to acquire a transcendent talent in the NHL draft, only to miss out on both Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.

— dan bickley, azcentral, "Bickley: Arizona Coyotes' Clayton Keller is the light at the end of the tunnel," 5 Apr. 2018
Once considered an aberration in the hip-hop world because of his unconventional style, in a matter of two years, Post Malone has evolved into a transcendent hitmaker.

— carl lamarre, Billboard, "Post Malone to Play Bud Light Dive Bar Tour Stop in Nashville: Exclusive," 22 Mar. 2018
Pinch’s transcendent scheme to succeed at that, and create his own identity, is the brilliant finale that will leave you surprised, sad and uplifted.

— don oldenburg, USA TODAY, "'The Italian Teacher': Tom Rachman's portrait of an artist and his son is picture-perfect," 20 Mar. 2018
Curry reaches this milestone as a transcendent figure on the NBA landscape.

— ron kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, "Stephen Curry at 30: From baby-faced Warriors guard to basketball revolutionary and beyond," 8 Mar. 2018
Over the years, the athletes would put on some transcendent performances, too.

— david scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Why do Americans ignore the Paralympics?," 1 Mar. 2018
The transcendent power of money and the vulnerability of women in society are on full display.

— david holahan, USA TODAY, "All about the 'Girl' in the middle of the infamous Stanford White murder case," 22 Jan. 2018
Typically the process of science is molasses-slow, far more tedious than transcendent.

— brian handwerk, Smithsonian, "Sometimes, a Scientific “Eureka!” Moment Really Does Change The World," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transcendent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The Latin verb scandere means "to climb", so transcend has the basic meaning of climbing so high that you cross some boundary. A transcendent experience is one that takes you out of yourself and convinces you of a larger life or existence; in this sense, it means something close to "spiritual". The American writers and thinkers known as the Transcendentalists, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, believed in the unity of all creation, the basic goodness of humankind, and the superiority of spiritual vision over mere logic. When we speak of the transcendent importance of an issue such as climate change, we may mean that everything else on earth actually depends on it.