transience

noun

tran·​sience ˈtran(t)-sh(ē-)ən(t)s 

ˈtran-zē-ən(t)s,

ˈtran(t)-sē-;

ˈtran-zhən(t)s,

-jən(t)s

: the quality or state of being transient

Synonyms

• ephemerality
• evanescence
• fleetingness
• fugitiveness
• impermanence
• impermanency
• momentariness
• temporariness
• transiency
• transitoriness

Examples of transience in a Sentence

the transience of spring in northern climates means residents get to enjoy temperate weather only briefly before the heat and humidity of summer set in

Recent Examples on the Web

In many ways, nature serves as the ultimate metaphor for fashion—its rebirth, renewal, and cyclicity, as well as its transience, ephemerality, and evanescence. —Irene Kim, Vogue, 28 June 2024

Finally, there is the issue of partly cloudy skies and the transience of clouds themselves. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 5 Apr. 2024

But the show also tries to convey the view that death epitomizes the transience of life and therefore must be gracefully accepted and sometimes even sought out, since a good, honorable death will define you forever. —Ryu Spaeth, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2024

The group embraced its own transience in performances that existed only in the seconds needed to sing or say or spin them. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above