# transit

/ˈtɹænzɪt/ (US) · /tɹˈænsɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/transit
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. movement of goods or people

noun · CEFR B2

the act of moving things or people from one place to another.

For teachers: the act of passing over, across, or through; the process of being conveyed from one location to another.

- The goods were damaged while they were in transit between the two cities.
- The logistics manager confirmed that the raw materials were currently in transit and would arrive at the manufacturing facility by dawn.

### 2. public transportation

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a system of buses, trains, and other vehicles that people use to travel.

For teachers: a system of public conveyance for passengers, typically operated on a fare-paying basis within an urban environment.

- The city is investing millions of dollars to improve the local transit system.
- Urban planners argue that a robust mass transit network is essential for reducing carbon emissions in densely populated metropolitan areas.

### 3. astronomy

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

when a planet or moon moves across the face of a larger star or planet.

For teachers: the passage of a celestial body across the observer's meridian or across the disk of a larger celestial body.

- Astronomers gathered to watch the rare transit of Venus across the sun.
- The detection of exoplanets often relies on observing a slight dip in stellar brightness during a planetary transit.

### 4. to pass through

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to travel through or across an area.

For teachers: to pass over, across, or through a specific region or space; often used in maritime or aviation contexts.

- The ship had to transit the Suez Canal to reach the Mediterranean Sea.
- International law governs the rights of commercial vessels to transit through territorial waters without undue interference from coastal states.

### 5. internet data

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to carry data traffic between different computer networks.

For teachers: to carry communications traffic to and from a customer or another network, typically on a commercial compensation basis.

- The provider charges a fee to transit data from our servers to the global web.
- Tier 1 networks typically peer with one another while charging smaller ISPs to transit their traffic across the backbone.

## Examples

- The goods were damaged during transit.
- The city is investing millions to improve public transit and reduce traffic congestion in the downtown area.
- While the cargo is currently in transit across the Atlantic, the logistics team is already coordinating the final rail leg of the journey to ensure timely delivery.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.