transition

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

|Updated on: 22 Jun 2018

Examples: transition in a Sentence

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 \tran(t)-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

Starting in his teens, Tanner’s transition from female to male had been a series of steps over a number of years.

— New York Times, "A Family in Transition," 16 June 2018
Therefore, in the transitions from verses to choruses, the amount of harmonic surprise tended to drop.

— jonathon keats, Discover Magazine, "Science of Music," 15 June 2018
Last week Buhari, who is seeking re-election in 2019, changed the date of Nigeria's Democracy Day, a day that marks the transition of military rule to a democracy, from May 29 to June 12 to honor Abiola.

— bukola adebayo, CNN, "Nigeria's Buhari says sorry for presidential election annulled 25 years ago," 14 June 2018
The transition to Amazon ownership has caused some Whole Foods workers their share of new job stress.

— kevin kelleher, Fortune, "Whole Foods CEO Says He's Not Afraid to 'Speak Truth' to Jeff Bezos," 14 June 2018
The money has helped rebuild schools, hospitals, power stations and wells, and eased the transition of those returning home.

— mark green, WSJ, "Help Is on the Way for Middle Eastern Christians," 13 June 2018
The Trump Administration has attempted to roll back the olive branch extended to transgender soldiers with an order in March that forbids people who require or have undergone gender transition from serving.

— andrea k. mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore VA works to embrace LGBT veterans who have long felt unwelcome by the military," 12 June 2018
Rob Likens was elevated to offensive coordinator after spending last season as the team’s passing coordinator, so his familiarity with Wilkins should make the transition to a new style of play a lot smoother.

— matt murschel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Arizona State counts on Herm Edwards to lead revival, is No. 79 in 2018 preseason college football rankings," 9 June 2018
Tom Daly becomes the fourth person to preside over Herbst’s political coffers during the past 18 months, a period covering Herbst’s transition from an exploratory committee to a candidacy for governor.

— neil vigdor, courant.com, "Tim Herbst Brings In New Campaign Manager, Replaces Treasurer Again," 8 June 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

transition

verb

Definition of transition

transitioned; transitioning; transitions

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

Lynn Stadium's facilities team normally kills out ryegrass and grows in Bermuda grass to transition the turf from winter to summer.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "LouCity is winning at Lynn Stadium - so why didn't this happen sooner?," 18 June 2018
That's because of the time needed to transition the program, Beam said.

— leah asmelash, charlotteobserver, "Thousands of CMS students get free meals in school. So what happens in the summer?," 13 June 2018
In its filing, Guess said Paul Marciano, who also served as chief creative officer, has started to transition his duties to Chief Executive Victor Herrero.

— maria armental, WSJ, "Guess Co-Founder Paul Marciano to Leave Company Next Year Following Misconduct Allegations," 12 June 2018
An attempt to transition Biwa to an omakase-only option in 2016 had not gone well.

— heidi williams, OregonLive.com, "We tried 'Dragon's Breath,' the new treat that lets you breathe smoke, sort of (video)," 6 June 2018
Rodriguez said the authority hopes to transition to fully driverless vehicles by 2020.

— mary wisniewski, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago sister city Hamburg trying electric shuttles, ride-sharing," 4 June 2018
Do the Red Hills have to transition from Napa’s invisible understudy to Napa’s wannabe imitator?

— esther mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "The rise of the Red Hills of Lake County," 1 June 2018
Through partnerships with community colleges, such as HCC and LSC, students have opportunities to seamlessly transition from associate’s programs into undergraduate majors at UHD.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "Grads with grit: UHD’s oldest & youngest graduates show that age has no boundaries," 31 May 2018
The shift in positions comes as the district is preparing to transition some of its elementary schools to be focused on STEM or STEAM — science, technology, engineering, math, and, for the STEAM schools, arts.

— sarah freishtat, Aurora Beacon-News, "East Aurora looking to add elementary librarians," 25 May 2018

First Known Use of transition

1946

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

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