transmute

verb

trans·​mute tran(t)s-ˈmyüt How to pronounce transmute (audio)
tranz-
transmuted; transmuting

transitive verb

1
: to change or alter in form, appearance, or nature and especially to a higher form
2
: to subject (something, such as an element) to transmutation

intransitive verb

: to undergo transmutation
transmutable adjective

Did you know?

Transmutation changes something over into something else. Thus, a writer may transmute his life into stories or novels, and an arranger might transmute a lively march tune into a quiet lullaby. In the "Myth of Er" at the end of Plato's Republic, for example, human souls are transmuted into the body and existence of their choice. Having learned from their last life what they do not want to be, many choose transmutation into something that seems better. A meek man chooses to be transmuted into a tyrant, a farmer into a dashing (but short-lived) warrior, and so on. But very few seem to have learned anything from their former life that would make their choice a real improvement.

Choose the Right Synonym for transmute

transform, metamorphose, transmute, convert, transmogrify, transfigure mean to change a thing into a different thing.

transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function.

transformed a small company into a corporate giant

metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power.

awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas

transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing.

attempted to transmute lead into gold

convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function.

converted the study into a nursery

transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis.

a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince

transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies.

joy transfigured her face

Examples of transmute in a Sentence

The stories of their lives were transmuted into works of fiction. The former criminal had transmuted into a national hero.
Recent Examples on the Web That line points to a profound paradox of prison life: that what defines humanity outside prison walls makes one a target for predation inside of them, circumstances that transmute humanity into toughness, aggression, apathy. Mitchell S. Jackson, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023 Only in the eyes of a zealot could a story about a pop star dating a football star be transmuted into The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024 Pat McGrath further cemented her icon status at John Galliano’s Margiela Artisanal show last week, transmuting models into something both hyper-human and sculpture-esque by way of glassy and near-porcelain skin. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2024 The specific achievement of this movie, recently named the best picture of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., is to explore evil without glamorizing it, and to transmute the mundane into something quietly mesmerizing. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 Moffat’s series, Compost, transmutes vibrant and organic flowers into minerals. Ana María Caballero, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 TikTok beauty trends have taken on a life of their own over the past few years, transmuting transient micro-moments into full-tilt sensations, the sort of splashes that influence human beings and brands alike. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2023 The disaffected catharsis Americans feel entitled to in their scant free time is scored by Black sound, the acoustics of Black suffering transmuted into entertainment, spectacle. Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023 The art was also a way of transmuting the intense emotions of South Korea’s civil war, postwar poverty and military dictatorship, as well as what was widely remembered as his own difficult, sometimes quarrelsome personality, into a kind of everyday serenity. Will Heinrich, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'transmute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin transmutare, from trans- + mutare to change — more at mutable

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of transmute was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near transmute

Cite this Entry

“Transmute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transmute. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

transmute

verb
trans·​mute tran(t)s-ˈmyüt How to pronounce transmute (audio)
tranz-
transmuted; transmuting
1
: to change in kind, appearance, or value : convert
2
: to change into another substance or element : to undergo transmutation

Legal Definition

transmute

transitive verb
trans·​mute tranz-ˈmyüt, trans- How to pronounce transmute (audio)
transmuted; transmuting
: to convert or transform the type of ownership of (property) by transmutation
did not transmute the properties themselves into marital assetsIn re Siddens, 588 N.E.2d 321 (1992)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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