Transcendence
What it means
The state or experience of passing beyond ordinary limits or concerns.
Reach for it when naming an elevated sense of meaning that exceeds everyday boundaries
The final chorus gave listeners a brief sense of transcendence.
Words to choose between 6
| warm | |
|---|---|
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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warm
spirituality
Fits when connection to sacred or ultimate meaning is intended
Careful Spirituality adds a religious or metaphysical frame that transcendence need not have.
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professional
self-transcendence
Fits when moving beyond narrow self-interest is specific
Careful The compound is psychological or philosophical, not a general synonym.
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formal
elevation
Fits when movement to a higher moral or artistic level is central
Careful Elevation can describe rank or height without passing beyond ordinary experience.
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literary
Fits when overwhelming ecstatic feeling is central
Careful Rapture is much more intense and often religious.
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literary
sublimity
Fits when greatness inspires awe
Careful Sublimity concerns grandeur, not necessarily crossing a limit.
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literary
transport
Fits when intense joy seems to carry someone beyond themselves
Careful Transport is archaic and emphasizes emotion rather than meaning.
Opposites 3
- mundanity
- limitation
- immanence
Common phrases 3
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sense of transcendence
The open horizon created a sense of transcendence without any spoken message.
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moment of transcendence
A moment of transcendence emerged when the audience joined the final verse.
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artistic transcendence
Artistic transcendence cannot be measured by scale or expense alone.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: DroEsperanto, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, public domain Updated