transcendental

adjective

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tran·scen·den·tal | \ ˌtran(t)-ˌsen-ˈden-tᵊl

, -sən- \

Definition of transcendental

1a : transcendent sense 1b

b : supernatural

c : abstruse, abstract

d : of or relating to transcendentalism

2a : 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 sense 1a

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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 on the Web In The White Tiger, this transcendental wordlessness takes the form of two men realizing the absurdity of their situation—and their world. — Karthik Purushothaman, The New Republic, "The White Tiger Inverts the Indian Rags-to-Riches Story," 2 Feb. 2021 That could create a roadblock, as many transcendental equations are intractable; x = cos(x), for example, has no exact solutions. — Quanta Magazine, "After Centuries, a Seemingly Simple Math Problem Gets an Exact Solution," 9 Dec. 2020 Thus death on the battlefield was a holy sacrifice with transcendental meaning. — Fergus M. Bordewich, WSJ, "‘A Holy Baptism of Fire & Blood’ Review: The Civil War’s Biblical Violence," 15 Jan. 2021 On this occasion the Swan that plays a central role in the Lohengrin legend — whose transcendental arrival constitutes the main drama of the first act — was represented by a kind of oversized rubber duck, hovering above the stage from a string. — Barnaby Crowcroft, National Review, "Eternal Lessons from Wagner’s Last Opera," 26 Dec. 2020 In 1968, Paul Saltzman -- who was studying transcendental meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi -- unexpectedly crossed paths with the Fab Four. — John Benson, cleveland, "‘Another Round’ and ‘The Changin’ Times Of Ike White’ top this week’s streaming movies in Cleveland Cinemas and Cinematheque," 2 Dec. 2020 In 1968, Paul Saltzman -- who was studying transcendental meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi -- unexpectedly crossed paths with the Fab Four. — John Benson, cleveland, "‘Zappa’ and ‘Three Summers’ top this week’s streaming movies at Cleveland Cinemas and Cinematheque," 24 Nov. 2020 Instead of mass rallies and totalitarian cults, society will fragment into mutually incomprehensible bubbles, and only celebrity will possess the transcendental power necessary to deliver electoral numbers. — Rana Dasgupta, Harper's Magazine, "The Silenced Majority," 24 Nov. 2020 Violence and repression are presented as the way to create transcendental changes in the history of humanity. — Federico Finchelstein, The New Republic, "It’s Already Happening Here," 3 Nov. 2020

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.