adj · noun · 15 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌtɹæn(t)s(ɛ)nˈdɛntl̩/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌtɹɑːn-/
Received-Pronunciation:[-zɛn-]
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌtɹænˌ(t)sɛnˈdɛntl̩/
General-American:/-(t)s(ə)n-/
General-American:[-ɾl̩]
rhymes with -ɛntəl
CMU ARPABET:T R AE2 N S AH0 N D EH1 N T AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:T R AE2 N S AH0 N D EH1 N AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Synonym of transcendent (“surpassing usual limits; excelling; extraordinary”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: surpassing, transcendent
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
In the philosophy of Aristotle (384–322 B.C.E.): synonym of transcendent (“transcending or extending beyond a single category”); also, synonym of metaphysical (“of or relating to the basic structure of reality”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
In the philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) or similar philosophies: concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
In the philosophy associated with Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882): of or relating to transcendentalism (“a philosophy which stresses intuition and spirituality”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Beyond one's ordinary experience; extraordinary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Existing in the imagination; abstract, conceptual.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adj
Meaning 7
Mystical, superhuman, supernatural.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: superrational
Antonyms: none provided
8
adj
Meaning 8
Of an element of an extension field: not algebraic, that is, not the root of any polynomial that has positive degree and rational coefficients; also, of an extension field: that contains elements which are not algebraic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: field theory
Topics: algebra, mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: algebraic
Broader terms: irrational
9
adj
Meaning 9
Of a function or number: not algebraic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: mathematics, number-theory, sciences
Examples
The numbers e and #92;pi are transcendental—written as decimals, the numbers after the decimal point continue infinitely and do not enter a permanently repeating pattern.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: algebraic
Broader terms: irrational
10
noun
Meaning 10
A thing which is transcendental (all adjective senses).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
A thing which is transcendental (all adjective senses).
Any one of the transcendental properties of being, especially beauty, goodness, and truth—which are respectively the ideals of art, religion, and science, and thus the principal subjects of the study of aesthetics, ethics, and logic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
A thing which is transcendental (all adjective senses).
An element of an extension field, an extension field, a function, or a number which is not algebraic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
Synonym of transcendentalist (“one who believes in transcendentalism; a philosopher who asserts that true knowledge is obtained by faculties of the mind that transcend sensory experience”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: transcendentalist
Antonyms: none provided
14
adjective
Meaning 14
of or characteristic of a system of philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical and material
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
adjective satellite
Meaning 15
existing outside of or not in accordance with nature-Aldous Huxley
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
find transcendental motives for sublunary action
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: nonnatural, otherworldly, preternatural
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
The adjective is a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin transcendentālis + English -al (suffix meaning of or relating to forming adjectives; and forming nouns, especially of verbal action). Transcendentālis is derived from Latin trānscendentem + ‐ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship); and trānscendentem is the accusative singular form of trānscendēns (“exceeding, surpassing, transcending”), the present active participle of trānscendō (“to climb, cross, pass, or step over; to exceed, surpass, transcend”), from trāns- (prefix meaning ‘across; beyond; through’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *terh2- (“to cross over; to overcome; to pass through”)) + scandō (“to ascend, climb; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to ascend; to jump up”)). The noun is derived from the adjective.
Across languages
Translations
94 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
интуитивен
(intuitiven)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Finnish:
transsendentaalinen
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Greek:
υπερβατικός
(ypervatikós)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Hindi:
अनुभवातीत
(anubhvātīt)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Hindi:
इंद्रियातीत
(indriyātīt)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Hindi:
लोकातीत
(lokātīt)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Hindi:
प्रागनुभविक
(prāgnubhvik)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Hindi:
अत्यानुभविक
(atyānubhvik)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Hindi:
भावातीत
(bhāvātīt)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Hindi:
अतींद्रिय
(atīndriya)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Hindi:
लोकोत्तर
(lokottar)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Italian:
trascendentale
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Kazakh:
трансценденттік
(transsendenttık)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Kazakh:
трансценденталды
(transsendentaldy)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Persian:
متعالی
(mota'âli)
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Romanian:
transcendental
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Spanish:
trascendental
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Swedish:
transcendent
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Tagalog:
igpawin
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Turkish:
deneyüstü
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Welsh:
trosgynnol
— concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge, independent of experience
Bulgarian:
свръхестествен
(svrǎhestestven)
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Finnish:
tuonpuoleinen
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
German:
transzendent
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Greek:
υπερβατικός
(ypervatikós)
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Greek:
υπερφυσικός
(yperfysikós)
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Hindi:
अलौकिक
(alaukik)
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Kazakh:
трансценденталды
(transsendentaldy)
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Romanian:
transcendent
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Spanish:
trascendental
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Tagalog:
igpawin
— mystical, superhuman, supernatural — see also supernatural
Arabic:
متسام
— not algebraic
Armenian:
տրանսցենդենտ
(transcʻendent)
— not algebraic
Azerbaijani:
transsendent
— not algebraic
Basque:
transzendente
— not algebraic
Belarusian:
трансцэндэнтны
(transcendentny)
— not algebraic
Bengali:
তুরীয়
(turiẏo)
— not algebraic
Bulgarian:
трансцендентно
(transcendentno)
— not algebraic
Catalan:
transcendent
— not algebraic
Chinese Mandarin:
超越
(chāoyuè)
— not algebraic
Chuvash:
трансцендентлӑ
(transtsendentlă)
— not algebraic
Czech:
transcendentní
— not algebraic
Danish:
transcendent
— not algebraic
Dutch:
transcendent
— not algebraic
Estonian:
transtsendentne
— not algebraic
Finnish:
transsendenttinen
— not algebraic
French:
transcendante
— not algebraic
Galician:
transcendente
— not algebraic
Georgian:
ტრანსცენდენტური
(ṭranscendenṭuri)
— not algebraic
German:
transzendent
— not algebraic
Greek:
υπερβατικός
(ypervatikós)
— not algebraic
Hebrew:
טרנסצנדנטי
— not algebraic
Hindi:
अबीजीय
(abījīya)
— not algebraic
Hindi:
प्रागनुभविक
(prāgnubhvik)
— not algebraic
Hungarian:
transzcendens
— not algebraic
Icelandic:
torræður
— not algebraic
Ido:
trancendanta
— not algebraic
Indonesian:
transendental
— not algebraic
Italian:
trascendente
— not algebraic
Japanese:
超越
(chōetsu)
— not algebraic
Kazakh:
трансценденттік
(transsendenttık)
— not algebraic
Korean:
초월
(chowol)
— not algebraic
Latin:
transcendens
— not algebraic
Latin:
transcendentalis
— not algebraic
Latvian:
transcendents
— not algebraic
Lithuanian:
transcendentinis
— not algebraic
Lombard:
trascendeent
— not algebraic
Malagasy:
mihoadraha
— not algebraic
Malay:
transenden
— not algebraic
Mirandese:
trascendente
— not algebraic
Norwegian Bokmål:
transcendentalt
— not algebraic
Norwegian Nynorsk:
transcendent
— not algebraic
Persian:
ترافرازنده
— not algebraic
Polish:
przestępny
— not algebraic
Portuguese:
transcendente
— not algebraic
Romanian:
transcendent
— not algebraic
Russian:
трансценде́нтное
(transcendéntnoje)
— not algebraic
Sicilian:
trascinnenti
— not algebraic
Slovak:
transcendentné
— not algebraic
Slovene:
transcendentno
— not algebraic
Spanish:
trascendental
— not algebraic
Swedish:
transcendental
— not algebraic
Tagalog:
igpawin
— not algebraic
Tajik:
транccендентӣ
(tranccyendenti)
— not algebraic
Tamil:
விஞ்சிய
(viñciya)
— not algebraic
Thai:
อดิศัย
— not algebraic
Turkish:
aşkın
— not algebraic
Ukrainian:
трансценде́нтні
(transcendéntni)
— not algebraic
Vietnamese:
siêu việt
— not algebraic
Welsh:
trosgynnol
— not algebraic
West Flemish:
transcendent
— not algebraic
Finnish:
transsendentti
— thing which is transcendental
Finnish:
transsendentti
— any one of the transcendental properties of being
Finnish:
transsendentti
— element of an extension field or an extension field which is not algebraic
