transcendent

adjective

tran·​scen·​dent tran(t)-ˈsen-dənt 

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 sense 2

4

: universally applicable or significant

the antislavery movement … recognized the transcendent importance of liberty

—L. H. Tribe

transcendently adverb

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.

Synonyms

• transcendental
• supernatural
• paranormal
• metaphysical
• mystical

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 on the Web

Following Mamdani's win—what some see as a transcendent moment in national politics—pundits have gone to great lengths trying to decode what democratic socialism, a relative anomaly in America, actually is. —Jerel Ezell, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

O’Neill, who lived in Danville from 1937 to 1944, also experimented with dramatic forms and created transcendent dramas about the struggles of regular Americans. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025

The way Ramón brought his own humanity and perspective to it was really transcendent. —Bob Verini, Variety, 4 June 2025

Narrated directly to the listener, who steps into the role of Aurelia, The Muse explores the electric tension between teacher and student, the line between discipline and desire, and the transcendent power of artistic connection. —Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin transcendent-, transcendens, present participle of transcendere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for transcendent

• appendant
• ascendant
• attendant
• defendant
• dependant
• dependent
• descendant
• descendent
• intendant
• resplendent
• codefendant
• independent

Kids Definition

transcendent

adjective

tran·​scen·​dent tran(t)s-ˈen-dənt 

1

: superior to or going beyond the usual : extraordinary

2

: going beyond the limits of ordinary experience