transcendent
adjective
L. H. Tribe
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The Latin verb scandere means "to climb", so transcend has the basic meaning of climbing so high that you cross some boundary. A transcendent experience is one that takes you out of yourself and convinces you of a larger life or existence; in this sense, it means something close to "spiritual". The American writers and thinkers known as the Transcendentalists, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, believed in the unity of all creation, the basic goodness of humankind, and the superiority of spiritual vision over mere logic. When we speak of the transcendent importance of an issue such as climate change, we may mean that everything else on earth actually depends on it.
Examples of transcendent in a Sentence
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
There were the transcendent sideline reporters — Cheryl Miller and the late Craig Sager, to name just two —who elevated broadcasts with observations and reporting.
—Richard Deitsch, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Woody Guthrie knew that music could be … an uplifting, unifying, transcendent thing; a defensive shield, and a weapon for change.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Now, Washington is poised to potentially be one of the most transcendent teams in 2025, and Daniels could soon make his own mark on NFL history the way Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow and Hurts have.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transcendent
Cite this Entry
“Transcendent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcendent. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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transcendent
adjective
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