transit

1 of 2

noun

tran·​sit ˈtran(t)-sət  ˈtran-zət 

1

a(1)

: conveyance of persons or things from one place to another

(2)

: usually local transportation especially of people by public conveyance

also : vehicles or a system engaged in such transportation

b

: an act, process, or instance of passing through or over

c

: change, transition

2

a

: passage of a celestial body over the meridian of a place or through the field of a telescope

b

: passage of a smaller body (such as Venus) across the disk of a larger (such as the sun)

3

: a theodolite with the telescope mounted so that it can be transited

transit

2 of 2

verb

transited; transiting; transits

intransitive verb

: to make a transit

transitive verb

1

a

: to pass over or through

b

: to cause to pass over or through

2

: to pass across (a meridian, a celestial body, or the field of view of a telescope)

3

: to turn (a telescope) over about the horizontal transverse axis in surveying

Synonyms

Verb

• course
• cover
• cross
• cut (across)
• follow
• go
• navigate
• pass (over)
• perambulate
• peregrinate
• proceed (along)
• track
• travel
• traverse

Examples of transit in a Sentence

Noun

the problems of urban transit

Verb

once you transit that stretch of dense woods, the hiking should be much easier

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Metro’s plans ahead of the Olympics include an expansion of its transit network that would depend heavily on bus use, more bus priority lanes and faster speeds. —Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025

The government closed its main border crossing with Pakistan, effectively cutting a crucial transit point for people and goods. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

Verb

The Shandong's deployment in the waters east of the Philippines confirmed that the Chinese aircraft carrier had transited the Luzon Strait, located between southern Taiwan and northern Philippines, connecting the South China Sea in the west and the Philippine Sea in the east. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

Where will the cruises go? ▶ Guests aboard Zaandam will transit the Panama Canal before traveling along the west coast of South America. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English transite, from Latin transitus, from transire to go across, pass

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing transit

• in transit
• mass transit
• public transit
• rapid transit
• transit camp
• transit visa

Rhymes for transit

• paratransit

Kids Definition

transit

1 of 2 noun

tran·​sit ˈtran(t)s-ət  ˈtranz- 

1

: an act, process, or example of passing through or over : passage

2

: the transporting of persons or things from one place to another

goods lost in transit

3

: local transportation of people in public vehicles

also : the vehicles or system used in such transportation

4

: a surveyor's instrument for measuring angles

transit

2 of 2 verb

: to pass or cause to pass over, through, or across

Etymology

Noun

from Latin transitus "passage, journey," from transire "to go across, pass," from trans- "across, beyond" and ire "to go" — related to issue, itinerary