✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

transcontinental

adjective

trans·​con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌtran(t)s-ˌkän-tə-ˈnen-tᵊl How to pronounce transcontinental (audio)
ˌtranz-
: extending or going across a continent
a transcontinental railroad

Examples of transcontinental in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The study tracked movements in the economy cabin during transcontinental flights and found that passengers in window seats were far less likely to get up during flights, with only about 40% doing so compared with 80% of those in aisle seats. Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025 Indeed, concern about rampant logging in the Santa Cruz mountains, following the Gold Rush and the opening of the transcontinental railroad, ignited the region’s parks movement, according to Barth. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Nov. 2025 The vast majority of shareholders for Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern voted on Friday to support the $85 billion merger that would transform the two companies into a transcontinental railroad titan. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 14 Nov. 2025 The saving grace is the water surrounding the city—the breeze off the Bosphorus on a transcontinental ferry ride or a swim in the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul's islands takes the edge off the muggy heat. Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for transcontinental

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of transcontinental was in 1853

Cite this Entry

“Transcontinental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcontinental. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

transcontinental

adjective
trans·​con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌtran(t)s-ˌkänt-ᵊn-ˈent-ᵊl How to pronounce transcontinental (audio)
: extending or going across a continent
a transcontinental flight

More from Merriam-Webster on transcontinental

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!