ENGLISH
REFERENCE

transient

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈtɹænʒənt// UK //tɹˈænsiənt// tran·sient

adj. lasting for only a very short time. You use this to describe things that pass quickly, like a feeling or a weather event.

adj. lasting only for a short period; impermanent or ephemeral. Often describes physical phenomena or psychological states that lack duration.


SIMPLE

The storm was transient and the sun soon returned.

CONTEXTUAL

The city has a large transient population of students and seasonal workers who stay for only a few months.

COMPLEX

Philosophers often contrast the transient nature of physical beauty with the perceived permanence of mathematical truths or moral virtues.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Late Latin transiēnt- (for classical transeunt-), stem of transiēns, present participle of trānsīre (“to go over, to pass”).

Usage

Often used attributively before a noun; frequently pairs with 'nature', 'population', or 'phenomena'.

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