trans

1 of 3

adjective

ˈtran(t)s  ˈtranz 

1

: transgender

The Affordable Care Act included trans health care in many places and that was a remarkable step in the right direction for trans people, but in some ways it still remained difficult to receive personalized and comprehensive transgender healthcare.

—Alexa Corazón

Note: While the word trans has been used as a shortened version of both transgender and transsexual, the word transsexual is dated and sometimes offensive. The word transgender is preferred.

2

chemistry : characterized by having certain groups of atoms on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of a double bond or of the plane of a ring in a molecule

3

genetics : relating to or being an arrangement of two very closely linked genes in the heterozygous condition in which one mutant allele and one wild-type allele are on each of the two homologous chromosomes compare cis sense 3

trans

2 of 3

abbreviation

1

transaction

2

transitive

3

translated; translation; translator

4

transmission

5

transportation

6

transverse

trans-

3 of 3

prefix

1

: on or to the other side of : across : beyond

transatlantic

2

a

: beyond (a specified chemical element) in the periodic table

transuranium

b

: trans

trans-dichloro-ethylene

compare cis- sense 2

3

: through

transcutaneous

4

: so or such as to change or transfer

transliterate

translocation

transamination

transship

Examples of trans in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The weight of it all could be felt throughout the sanctuary Wednesday, as a trans youth activist with the organization Bulletproof Pride addressed the audience. —Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 23 Nov. 2024

The girls don't need MHSAA permission to compete, so if some are trans, there's no record of it. —Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024

The Trevor Project surveyed more than 60,000 trans and nonbinary young people (ages 13-24) about their mental health from 2018 to 2022, a period in which 19 state governments enacted 48 laws targeting trans people, particularly youth. —Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024

The researchers also couldn’t randomly assign trans and nonbinary young people to live in states with anti-trans laws and states without them, since such a study design would be unethical, Nath said. —Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

(sense 1) by shortening of transgender or transsexual; (senses 2 & 3) from the prefix trans-

Prefix

Latin trans-, tra- across, beyond, through, so as to change, from trans across, beyond — more at through entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing trans

• trans exclusionary radical feminism
• trans-fat
• trans-fatty acid
• trans man
• trans woman

Kids Definition

trans-

prefix

1

: on or to the other side of : across : beyond

transatlantic

2

: so or such as to change in form or position or transfer

transliterate

Etymology

Prefix

derived from Latin trans- "across, beyond, so as to change"

Medical Definition

trans

adjective

ˈtran(t)s  ˈtranz 

1

: characterized by or having certain groups of atoms on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of a double bond or of the plane of a ring in a molecule see all-trans

2

: relating to or being an arrangement of two very closely linked genes in the heterozygous condition in which one mutant allele and one wild-type allele are on each of the two homologous chromosomes compare cis sense 2