transition

noun tran·si·tion \ tran(t)-ˈsi-shən , tran-ˈzi- , chiefly British tran(t)-ˈsi-zhən \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of transition

1 a : passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change

b : a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another

2 a : a musical modulation

b : a musical passage leading from one section of a piece to another

3 : an abrupt change in energy state or level (as of an atomic nucleus or a molecule) usually accompanied by loss or gain of a single quantum of energy

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transitional

play \-ˈsish-nəl, -ˈsizh-, -ˈzish-; -ˈsi-shə-nᵊl, -ˈzi-, -zhə-\ adjective

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transitionally

adverb

See transition defined for English-language learners

See transition defined for kids

Examples of transition in a Sentence

We want to have a smooth transition when the new owners take control of the company.
the sometimes difficult transition from childhood to adulthood
The country made a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Recent Examples of transition from the Web

The key to successful transitions, say DOC officials, is changing the dynamics between parolees and parole officers, establishing better relationships.

— annie gentile, Courant Community, "Life On Parole Discussed," 10 Apr. 2018
Already, the cost of gasoline has begun to rise as crude oil prices stabilize and refiners transition to pricier summer blends, though prices have fluctuated alongside crude oil.

— katherine blunt, Houston Chronicle, "U.S. Energy Department forecasts higher summer gas prices," 10 Apr. 2018
Leong of BioWatch recalls the transition to Cushing’s research as a difficult time for Corcept.

— sarah jane tribble, Washington Post, "How A Drugmaker Turned The Abortion Pill Into A Rare-Disease Profit Machine," 10 Apr. 2018
By day, the network broadcast news gathered in a serious way, if spiced up with some vervier transitions than CNN might have.

— daniel d'addario, Time, "Laura Ingraham Is Fox News's Problem, and Its Way Forward," 10 Apr. 2018
Previous administrations had prepared similar transition documents.

— kathleen pender, San Francisco Chronicle, "Author Michael Lewis turns his attention from Wall Street to Washington, D.C.," 10 Apr. 2018
Novogratz’s transition from salesman to trader may be the most salient fact of his career.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "A Sidelined Wall Street Legend Bets on Bitcoin," 10 Apr. 2018
The Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy echoed White's concerns over NAEP's transition to computerized testing in an April 4 memo.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Louisiana students show mixed outcomes in 'Nation's Report Card'," 10 Apr. 2018
Louisiana Superintendent John White has been vocal about his belief that the transition likely did impact scores.

— trisha powell crain, AL.com, "Alabama's national test scores still low, but not last," 10 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of transition

Latin transition-, transitio, from transire

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1551

See Words from the same year

transition

verb

Definition of transition

intransitive verb

: to make a transition

transition into college

See transition defined for English-language learners

Examples of transition in a Sentence

The company has transitioned to new management in the past year.
a student who is transitioning to a new school

Recent Examples of transition from the Web

Saturday The Lake Forest Library is Getting a New Catalog: Lake Forest Library is transitioning to their new catalog system this weekend.

— Lake County News-Sun, "Calendar: Chess meet-up in Vernon Hills," 9 Apr. 2018
Spires, who was transitioning between housing at the time, listened to a Miracle Messages volunteer speak about its services.

— bailey bischoff, The Christian Science Monitor, "He helps homeless people reconnect with loved ones through video messages," 5 Apr. 2018
After spending the show’s first season answering the question of whether David is insane, superpowered, or both, Legion could have transitioned into a much more conventional superhero show.

— samantha nelson, The Verge, "In season 2, FX’s Legion is still using a familiar genre to tell an extraordinary story," 5 Apr. 2018
The Portland Water Bureau is transitioning from site preparation to construction of the new reservoir.

— rosemarie stein, OregonLive.com, "Portland Metro Monday Traffic: April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month - put the phone down," 2 Apr. 2018
After seeing minimal action through the first seven games of the season, Dallas transitioned from wide receiver to running back to give the Hurricanes more depth in the backfield.

— jordan mcpherson, miamiherald, "He spent last year finding his role. Now, he’s ready to spark the Hurricanes’ offense | Miami Herald," 27 Mar. 2018
Cloud computing is key for Oracle, which is transitioning from a leading vendor of database software companies run in their own servers to one that also sells services that customers run in data centers operated by Oracle and others.

— jay greene, WSJ, "Oracle’s Cloud Sales Climb, but Forecast Disappoints," 19 Mar. 2018
Arlington, which is also transitioning to a middle school, saw its season end the same night with a 45-37 loss to Heritage Christian in Class 2A Sectional 43.

— kyle neddenriep, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: As tournament moves on, a sense of finality for many," 4 Mar. 2018
Beggs is transitioning from female to male and taking a low dose of testosterone.

— NBC News, "Transgender Texas wrestler wins second high school girls title," 26 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of transition

1946

TRANSITION Defined for English Language Learners

transition

noun

Definition of transition for English Language Learners

: a change from one state or condition to another

transition

verb

Definition of transition for English Language Learners

: to make a change from one state, place, or condition to another : to make a transition

TRANSITION Defined for Kids

transition

noun tran·si·tion \ tran-ˈsi-shən , -ˈzi- \

Definition of transition for Students

: an act or the process of passing from one state, stage, place, or subject to another : change

Medical Dictionary

transition

noun tran·si·tion \ tran(t)s-ˈish-ən, tranz-, chiefly British tran(t)s-ˈizh- \

medical Definition of transition

1 : passage from one state or stage to another; especially : an abrupt change in energy state or level (as of an atomic nucleus or a molecule) usually accompanied by loss or gain of a single quantum of energy

2 : a genetic mutation in RNA or DNA that results from the substitution of one purine base for the other or of one pyrimidine base for the other