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

While these two exhibits may feel distinct, for Suh, all of his work interrogates the boundaries between personal and public space, and the conditions that force transience or enable permanence. —Megan Williams, CNN Money, 1 May 2025

Fallen blossoms whisper on the damp earth, a fleeting poem of transience. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 1 May 2025

Autumn Winter ‘25 is a meditation on transience aided by several sources from Proust to Bentley. —Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025

Also memorable is an earlier image while still in Hamburg, in Sarah’s apartment, where the passing trains through the window underline the overall feeling of transience. —Jay D. Weissberg, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above