Standard Lemma guide

transition

noun · verb · 22 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.

  • UK: /tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən/
  • UK: /tɹɑːnˈzɪ.ʃən/
  • UK: /-sɪ-/
  • UK: /-ʒən/
  • US: /tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən/
  • US: /-sɪ-/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: T R AE0 N Z IH1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The process of change from one form, state, style or place to another.

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

2

noun

Meaning 2

A word or phrase connecting one part of a discourse to another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Holonym: metadiscourse

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A brief modulation; a passage connecting two themes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A change of key.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A point mutation in which one base is replaced by another of the same class (purine or pyrimidine); compare transversion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, genetics, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A change from defense to attack, or attack to defense.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: some sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The onset of the final stage of childbirth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Professional special education assistance for children or adults in the process of leaving one educational environment or support program for another to relatively more independent living.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: education

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A change between forward and backward motion without stopping.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, skating, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

The process or act of changing one's gender role or physical and sexual characteristics, by social, medical, or legal methods, to conform to their identified gender, rather than the sex assigned at birth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gender transition

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

A published procedure for instrument flight, coming between the departure and en-route phases of flight, or between en-route flight and an approach/landing procedure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

Death; passing from life into death.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, euphemistic, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To make a transition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To bring through a transition; to change.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The soldier was transitioned from a combat role to a strategic role.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To change one's gender role or physical and sexual characteristics to conform to one's identified gender.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: passage

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change of state

Narrower terms: fossilization, fossilisation, segue

17

noun

Meaning 17

a passage that connects a topic to one that follows

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: passage

Narrower terms: flashback, flash-forward, dissolve, cut, jump

18

noun

Meaning 18

a musical passage moving from one key to another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: modulation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: passage, musical passage

19

noun

Meaning 19

a change from one place or state or subject or stage to another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alteration, modification

Narrower terms: ground swell, leap, jump, saltation

20

noun

Meaning 20

an event that results in a transformation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: conversion, changeover

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: transformation, transmutation, shift

Narrower terms: glycogenesis, isomerization, isomerisation, rectification

21

verb

Meaning 21

make or undergo a transition (from one state or system to another)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The airline transitioned to more fuel-efficient jets
  • The adagio transitioned into an allegro

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: switch, shift, change

22

verb

Meaning 22

cause to convert or undergo a transition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the company had to transition the old practices to modern technology

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: convert

History

Etymology

From Middle French transition, from Latin transitio. By surface analysis, transit + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

126 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَحَوُّل (taḥawwul) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Arabic: نَقِل (naqil) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Armenian: փոփոխություն (pʻopʻoxutʻyun) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Azerbaijani: keçid — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Belarusian: перахо́д (pjeraxód) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Belarusian: ператварэ́нне (pjeratvarénnje) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Bulgarian: пре́ход (préhod) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Catalan: transició — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 過渡 /过渡 (guòdù) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 轉變 /转变 (zhuǎnbiàn) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Chinese Mandarin: 變化 /变化 (biànhuà) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Czech: přechod — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Danish: overgang — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Dutch: overgang — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Finnish: siirtyminen — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Finnish: muutos — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Finnish: siirtymä — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • French: transition — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Galician: transición — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Georgian: ტრანზიცია (ṭranzicia) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Georgian: გარდასვლა (gardasvla) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Georgian: გარდაქმნა (gardakmna) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • German: Übergang — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Greek: μετάβαση (metávasi) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Hebrew: מַעֲבָר (ma'vár) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Hebrew: תְּמוּרָה (tmurá) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Hungarian: átmenet — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Hungarian: átalakulás — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Hungarian: átállás — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Hungarian: áttérés — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Hungarian: rendszerváltás — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Ido: transito — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Italian: transizione — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Japanese: 遷移 (sen'i) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Japanese: 推移 (suii) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Japanese: 変化 (henka) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Kazakh: өзгеріс (özgerıs) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Kazakh: құбылыс (qūbylys) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Korean: 전이 (jeoni) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Korean: 변화 (byeonhwa) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Macedonian: премин (premin) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Macedonian: преод (preod) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Macedonian: транзиција (tranzicija) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Māori: whakawhitinga — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Māori: whitianga — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Māori: tauwhirowhiro — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Norwegian Bokmål: overgang — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Occitan: transicion — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Persian: تبدیل (tabdil) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Persian: دگریدن — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Polish: przekształcenie — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Polish: przejście — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Portuguese: transição — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Romanian: tranziție — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Russian: перехо́д (perexód) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Russian: превраще́ние (prevraščénije) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Scots: transeetion — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Serbo-Croatian: пре́лаз — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Serbo-Croatian: прије́лаз — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Serbo-Croatian: тра̀нзӣција — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Serbo-Croatian: prélaz — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Serbo-Croatian: prijélaz — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Serbo-Croatian: trànzīcija — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Slovak: prechod — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Slovene: prehod — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Slovene: tranzicija — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Spanish: transición — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Swedish: övergång — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Turkish: geçiş — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Ukrainian: перехі́д (perexíd) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Ukrainian: перетво́рення (peretvórennja) — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Uzbek: oʻtish — process of change from one form, state, style or place to another
  • Bulgarian: пре́ход (préhod) — word or phrase connecting one part of a discourse to another
  • French: transition — word or phrase connecting one part of a discourse to another
  • Finnish: välisoitto — brief modulation; a passage connecting two themes
  • French: transition — brief modulation; a passage connecting two themes
  • Hungarian: átvezetés — brief modulation; a passage connecting two themes
  • Hungarian: átvezető rész — brief modulation; a passage connecting two themes
  • Italian: transizione — brief modulation; a passage connecting two themes
  • French: transition — point mutation
  • Italian: passaggio — point mutation
  • Portuguese: transição — point mutation
  • Russian: транзиция (tranzicija) — point mutation
  • French: transition — change from defense to attack, or attack to defense
  • Italian: passaggio — change from defense to attack, or attack to defense
  • Finnish: siirtymä — onset of the final stage of childbirth
  • French: transition — onset of the final stage of childbirth
  • Italian: passaggio — onset of the final stage of childbirth
  • Bengali: লিঙ্গ বদল করা (liṅgo bodol kora) — gender-related life change
  • Catalan: trànsit — gender-related life change
  • French: transition — gender-related life change
  • German: Transition — gender-related life change
  • Hindi: लिंग बदलना (liṅg badalnā) — gender-related life change
  • Hungarian: tranzíció — gender-related life change
  • Hungarian: nemváltoztatás — gender-related life change
  • Hungarian: nemváltás — gender-related life change
  • Hungarian: átoperálás — gender-related life change
  • Hungarian: átmenet — gender-related life change
  • Persian: دگرجنسیدن — gender-related life change
  • Polish: tranzycja — gender-related life change
  • Portuguese: transição — gender-related life change
  • Romanian: tranziție — gender-related life change
  • Russian: перехо́д (perexód) — gender-related life change
  • Bulgarian: преминавам (preminavam) — to undergo a transition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 转变 (zhuǎnbiàn) — to undergo a transition
  • Hungarian: átalakul — to undergo a transition
  • Hungarian: átváltozik — to undergo a transition
  • Italian: passare — to undergo a transition
  • Māori: tauwhirowhiro — to undergo a transition
  • Portuguese: transicionar — to undergo a transition
  • Bulgarian: променям (promenjam) — to bring through a transition; to change
  • Hungarian: átváltoztat — to bring through a transition; to change
  • Hungarian: átvezet — to bring through a transition; to change
  • Hungarian: átsegít — to bring through a transition; to change
  • Hungarian: átállít — to bring through a transition; to change
  • Hungarian: átvisz — to bring through a transition; to change
  • Finnish: korjata sukupuolensa — to change from one gender role to another
  • French: transitionner — to change from one gender role to another
  • French: faire une transition — to change from one gender role to another
  • German: transitieren — to change from one gender role to another
  • German: transitionieren — to change from one gender role to another
  • Hungarian: tranzicionál — to change from one gender role to another
  • Portuguese: transicionar — to change from one gender role to another
  • Vietnamese: chuyển giới — to change from one gender role to another
  • Vietnamese: hoán giới — to change from one gender role to another
  • Vietnamese: đổi tính — to change from one gender role to another
Real reading context

transition in complete knowledge articles