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.
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Examples of transcendent in a Sentence
Brian Mazique, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
The transcendent rise of Brandon Sanderson in the world of fantasy fiction has transformed the author from the man who finished The Wheel of Time books into a juggernaut in his own right.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2024
There were two common reasons given from those who chose the 2005-06 season: 1) the transcendent Game 7 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the semifinals, and 2) the 2011 championship helped heal the pain of the Finals defeat and associate more with the joy and greatness from that season.
—Tim Cato, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
And Anderson, who won his first and only Emmy for his role as Costco-loving Christine, is absolutely transcendent.
—Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Transcendent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcendent. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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transcendent
adjective
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