transient

1 of 2

adjective

tran·sient ˈtran(t)-sh(ē-)ənt

ˈtran-zē-ənt,

ˈtran(t)-sē-;

ˈtran-zhənt,

-jənt

Synonyms of transient next

: passing especially quickly into and out of existence : transitory

transient beauty

: passing through or by a place with only a brief stay or sojourn

transient visitors

: affecting something or producing results beyond itself

transiently adverb

transient

2 of 2

noun

tran·sient ˈtran(t)-sh(ē-)ənt

ˈtran-zē-ənt,

ˈtran(t)-sē-;

ˈtran-zhənt,

-jənt

: one that is transient (see transient entry 1): such as

: a guest or boarder who stays only briefly

: a person traveling about usually in search of work

: a temporary oscillation that occurs in a circuit because of a sudden change of voltage or of load

: a transient current or voltage

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How should you use transient?

A transient mood is one that passes quickly. A brief stopover in a town on your way to somewhere else is a transient visit. A summer job on a farm is transient work, lasting only as long as the growing season. You may occasionally experience a transient episode of dizziness or weakness, which vanishes without a trace. As a noun, transient means a person who passes through a place, staying only briefly.

Choose the Right Synonym for transient

transient, transitory, ephemeral, momentary, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent mean lasting or staying only a short time.

transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

transitory applies to what is by its nature or essence bound to change, pass, or come to an end.

fame in the movies is transitory

ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

momentary suggests coming and going quickly and therefore being merely a brief interruption of a more enduring state.

my feelings of guilt were only momentary

fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face

fleeting moments of joy

evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation

Examples of transient in a Sentence

Adjective A Summer in New York is actually Europe, the Sequel—city of transient Danes and Italians and Spaniards and French. —

Guy Trebay, Village Voice, 30 July 1991

But Vandenberg, who had already written a hagiographic biography of Hamilton, was doing his personal hero no service. Rather, he trivialized him by dragging him into the transient issues of the day. —

John Steele Gordon, American Heritage, July/August 1990

The mountain lies between his residence and the main road, and occludes the expectation of transient visits. —

Thomas Jefferson, letter, 4 Aug. 1820

had transient thoughts of quitting her job and going back to school

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

According to the mom of three's Instagram story, their son was diagnosed with transient synovitis, which is a condition also known as irritable hip. —

Emma Aerin Becker, Peoplemag, 26 July 2024 Immediate aftermath included the creation of a 62-mile-wide, 19-mile-deep transient cavity, 620 mph winds, and a 2-mile-high tsunami that struck surrounding coastlines. —

Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Aug. 2024

Noun

He's been described as a transient who has lived in Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas. —

Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 8 Aug. 2024 The incident took place as SDPD officers were responding to complaints of transients creating nuisance in the area near Balboa Park Monday evening around 6:15 p.m., San Diego Police said. —

Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for transient

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'transient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Latin transeunt-, transiens, present participle of transire to cross, pass by, from trans- + ire to go — more at issue entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of transient was in 1599

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Transient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transient. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.

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Kids Definition

transient

1 of 2 adjective

tran·sient ˈtranch-ənt

: not lasting or staying long

transiently adverb

transient

2 of 2 noun

: a temporary guest

: a person traveling about usually in search of work

Medical Definition

transient

adjective

tran·sient ˈtran-zē-ənt

ˈtranch-ənt

: passing away in time : existing temporarily

transient symptoms

Last Updated: 2 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences

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transient

adjective

noun

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Synonyms

Examples of transient in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near transient

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition