Standard Lemma guide

trans-

prefix · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /tɹænz/ frequently used before vowels or voiced consonants
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /tɹæns/ frequently used before unvoiced consonants
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

prefix

Meaning 1

Extending across, through, or over.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Examples

  • trans- + national → transnational
  • trans- + regional → transregional
  • trans- + American → transamerican

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prefix

Meaning 2

To or on the other side of, beyond; outside of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Examples

  • trans- + alpine → transalpine
  • trans- + uranic → transuranic

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prefix

Meaning 3

A compound in which two atoms or groups are situated on opposite sides of some plane of symmetry passing through the compound. (Also used without the hyphen as an adjective; see trans.)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme, physical

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

Examples

  • transacetylase, tranexamic acid, transaldolase

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

prefix

Meaning 4

Transgender or transsexual, or pertaining to those who are transgender or transsexual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Examples

  • transmasculine, transfeminist, transphobia
  • For quotations using this term, see Citations:trans-.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin trans- (“across, beyond, on the far side”).

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անդր (andr) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Asturian: tres- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Breton: treuz- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Bulgarian: транс- (trans-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Catalan: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Czech: prů- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Czech: přes- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Dutch: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Finnish: läpi- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Finnish: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • French: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Galician: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Galician: tras- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Georgian: იმიერ- (imier-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Georgian: ტრანს- (ṭrans-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • German: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Greek: δια- (dia-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Hungarian: transz- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Hungarian: át- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Hungarian: túl- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Hungarian: között — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Hungarian: kívül — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Indonesian: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Irish: tras- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Italian: tras- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Japanese: 超 (chō) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Japanese: トランス (toransu) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Malay: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Persian: تراـ (tarâ) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Polish: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Portuguese: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Russian: транс- (trans-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Russian: за- (za-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Russian: через- (čerez-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Russian: чрез- (črez-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Russian: пере- (pere-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Russian: пре- (pre-) — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Scottish Gaelic: trìd- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Scottish Gaelic: tair- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Scottish Gaelic: tar- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Spanish: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Spanish: tras- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
  • Swedish: trans- — across, through, over, beyond, to or on the other side of, outside of
Real reading context

trans- in complete knowledge articles