transcendent

adjective tran·scen·dent \ -dənt \

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

—

transcendently

adverb

See transcendent defined for English-language learners

See transcendent defined for kids

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

There’s an encompassing sense of wonderment in this film that allows for both sadness and transcendent uplift.

— staff, The Christian Science Monitor, "Top Picks: PBS's 'Weekend in Havana,' Richard Russo's 'Trajectory,' and more," 7 July 2017
The issue of transcendent drive is at the heart of The Defiant Ones and, for Dr. Dre, his fascination with sound and how to make recordings (rather than be a rapper or musician out in front) is his beginning.

— tim goodman, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Defiant Ones': TV Review," 7 July 2017
Solitude has a transcendent power, and so does unity.

— Philly.com, "Horoscopes: Wednesday, July 5, 2017," 5 July 2017
Transcendent rookie slugger Aaron Judge - the top American League vote-getter and current Triple Crown leader - heads a list of five Yankees selected.

— usa today sports, USA TODAY, "MLB All-Star Game rosters: Nationals, Yankees, Astros Indians score five selections apiece," 2 July 2017
Each transcendent moment in Boise State history seems to involve Schneider’s signature, scruffy voice.

— michael katz, idahostatesman, "How a Vandal became the ‘keeper of the Boise State flame’," 21 June 2017
What matters most is the architecture, which is packed with an intense, transcendent beauty and originality.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "Frank Lloyd Wright's 150th birthday offers reason to appreciate the work, if perhaps not the man (commentary, photos)," 18 June 2017
That moment was timeless, transcendent and intimate.

— david zurawik, chicagotribune.com, "'House of Cards' Season 5 speaks to Trump's America for better and worse," 30 May 2017
Denis Johnson, 67, the prize-winning fiction writer, poet, and playwright best known for his surreal and transcendent story collection Jesus' Son, has died.

— Philly.com, "Denis Johnson | Author, playwright, 67," 27 May 2017

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.