transcendental

adjective tran·scen·den·tal \ ˌtran(t)-ˌsen-ˈden-tᵊl , -sən- \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Examples: transcendental in a Sentence

Definition of transcendental

1 a : transcendent 1b

b : supernatural

c : abstruse, abstract

d : of or relating to transcendentalism

2 a : incapable of being the root of an algebraic equation with rational coefficients

π is a transcendental number

b : being, involving, or representing a function (such as sin x, log x, e^x) that cannot be expressed by a finite number of algebraic operations

transcendental curves

3 in Kantian philosophy

a : of or relating to experience as determined by the mind's makeup

b : transcending experience but not human knowledge

4 : transcendent 1a

—

transcendentally

play \ˌtran(t)-ˌsen-ˈden-tᵊl-ē, -sən-\ adverb

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Examples of transcendental in a Sentence

the concept of the soul as a transcendental entity that exists entirely apart from the body
in his speeches he manifests a transcendental ability to inspire people from all points on the political spectrum

Recent Examples of transcendental from the Web

These are not elements in the transcendental toolkit.

— Washington Post, "Q&A: Schrader on ‘First Reformed,’ ‘Taxi Driver’ and God," 16 May 2018
And these are not included in the transcendental toolkit.

— zach baron, GQ, "Paul Schrader Isn't Done Yet," 18 May 2018
Rooted in metal, industrial, electronic noise, and drone, the tracks on Broken Limbs range from anguished and oppressive to contemplative and transcendental.

— monica kendrick, Chicago Reader, "Quintron’s Weather Warlock and Chicago polymath Bruce Lamont come together for a night of sonic witchcraft and wizardry," 11 May 2018
There isn’t some big-name rock band, pop singer, or rapper leading the audience on a transcendental musical ride.

— tiffany walden, Chicago Reader, "Soulection Radio Tour is the ultimate music connoisseur’s dream," 16 Feb. 2018
My transcendental Paul Revere had succeeded where a magic wand had failed.

— sloane crosley, The Cut, "The Doctor Is a Woman," 26 Mar. 2018
Pi is irrational and transcendental and will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern.

— cristela guerra, BostonGlobe.com, "There’s still time to enjoy a slice of Pi Day," 14 Mar. 2018
And since the 19th Century, pi has been known to be transcendental, meaning that no combination of its powers can add up to a whole number.

— dan rockmore /, NBC News, "Pi Day spotlights one of math's most seductive numbers," 14 Mar. 2018
Here are nine more Sundance films to look out for: The most transcendental experience this year came via virtual reality documentary Zikr: A Sufi Revival.

— allen salkin, Newsweek, "11 Films From Sundance You'll Want to See (or at Least Pretend You Saw) in 2018," 8 Feb. 2018

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