Standard Lemma guide

transcendence

noun · 7 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.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /tɹæn(t)ˈsɛndəns/
  • CMU ARPABET: T R AE0 N S EH1 N D AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of surpassing usual limits.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state of being beyond the range of normal perception.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Superior excellence; supereminence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The property of being a transcendental number.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the state of excelling or surpassing or going beyond usual limits

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: transcendency, superiority

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: domination, mastery, supremacy

7

noun

Meaning 7

a state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of material experience

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: transcendency

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: being, beingness, existence

History

Etymology

From transcend + -ence.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 超越 (chāoyuè) — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Dutch: overstijging — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Dutch: transcendentie — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Finnish: transsendenssi — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • French: transcendance — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • German: Transzendenz — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Greek: υπέρβαση (ypérvasi) — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Hungarian: felülemelkedés — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Portuguese: transcendência — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Romanian: transcendență — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Russian: трансцендентность (transcendentnostʹ) — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Spanish: transcendencia — the act of surpassing usual limits
  • Bulgarian: неосезаемост (neosezaemost) — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • Dutch: overstijging — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • Dutch: transcendentie — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • Finnish: transsendenssi — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • Finnish: ylimaallisuus — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • French: transcendance — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • German: Transzendenz — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • Greek: υπέρβαση (ypérvasi) — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • Romanian: transcendență — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • Swedish: transcendens — the state of being beyond the range of normal perception
  • Dutch: overstijging — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Dutch: transcendentie — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Finnish: transsendenssi — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Finnish: ylimaallisuus — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • French: transcendance — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • German: Transzendenz — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Greek: υπέρβαση (ypérvasi) — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Hebrew: טרנסצנדנטיות (transtzendéntiyut) — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Japanese: 超越 (chōetsu) — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Romanian: transcendență — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Thai: อุตรภาพ — the state of being free from the constraints of the material world, as in the case of a deity
  • Bulgarian: превъзходство (prevǎzhodstvo) — superior excellence; supereminence
  • Dutch: overstijging — superior excellence; supereminence
  • Dutch: transcendentie — superior excellence; supereminence
  • Finnish: etevämmyys — superior excellence; supereminence
  • French: transcendance — superior excellence; supereminence
  • German: Transzendenz — superior excellence; supereminence
  • Greek: υπεροχή (yperochí) — superior excellence; supereminence
  • Romanian: transcendență — superior excellence; supereminence
  • Romanian: preeminență — superior excellence; supereminence
  • Swedish: överlägsenhet — superior excellence; supereminence
  • Swedish: förträfflighet — superior excellence; supereminence
Real reading context

transcendence in complete knowledge articles