transpire

verb

tran·​spire tran(t)-ˈspī(-ə)r 

transpired; transpiring

intransitive verb

1

: to take place : go on, occur

2

a

: to become known or apparent : develop

b

: to be revealed : come to light

3

: to give off vaporous material

specifically : to give off or exude watery vapor especially from the surfaces of leaves

4

: to pass in the form of a vapor from a living body

transitive verb

: to pass off or give passage to (a fluid) through pores or interstices

especially : to excrete (a fluid, such as water) in the form of a vapor through a living membrane (such as the skin)

Can transpire mean 'to occur'?: Usage Guide

Sense 1 of transpire is the frequent whipping boy of those who suppose sense 2 to be the only meaning of the word. Sense 1 appears to have developed in the late 18th century; it was well enough known to have been used by Abigail Adams in a letter to her husband in 1775.

there is nothing new transpired since I wrote you last

—Abigail Adams

Noah Webster recognized the new sense in his dictionary of 1828. Transpire was evidently a popular word with 19th century journalists; sense 1 turns up in such pretentiously worded statements as "The police drill will transpire under shelter to-day in consequence of the moist atmosphere prevailing." Around 1870 the sense began to be attacked as a misuse on the grounds of etymology, and modern critics echo the damnation of 1870. Sense 1 has been in existence for about two centuries; it is firmly established as standard; it occurs now primarily in serious prose, not the ostentatiously flamboyant prose typical of 19th century journalism.

Did you know?

If you’re someone who gets in a sweat over the now-common use of transpire meaning “to occur,” we hope this explainer helps you cool down and breathe easier—it just so happens that the word’s expansion from its technical origins transpired in a logical, or at least understandable, progression over the centuries. Transpire comes from the Latin verb spirare (“to breathe”), which also breathed life into perspire, aspire, and inspire, among other words. Wafting up into English in the late 16th century, transpire was originally used (as it still is) for the action of vapor passing out of the pores of a living membrane such as the skin. From this use followed the related senses of “to become known” and “to be revealed; to come to light” (think of information “leaking” or “slipping out”). Although some usage commentators maintain that these are the only proper figurative uses of transpire, none other than Abigail Adams used it to mean “to happen” in a 1775 letter to her husband (“there is nothing new transpired since I wrote you last”) and Noah Webster recognized the new sense in his dictionary of 1828. Today it is firmly established as standard, occurring widely in published prose.

Synonyms

• be
• befall
• betide
• chance
• come
• come about
• come down
• come off
• cook
• do
• go down [slang]
• go on
• hap
• happen
• occur
• pass

Examples of transpire in a Sentence

No one will soon forget the historic events that transpired on that day.

A plant transpires more freely on a hot dry day.

Trees transpire water at a rapid rate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Regardless of what transpired between the two cast members, on or off screen, Aspen was unfairly portrayed as an immoral character. —Taylor Crumpton, Essence, 11 Apr. 2025

So, maybe they were convinced to take Sanders after his pro day, but considering what's transpired, that doesn't appear to be the case. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025

The outlets reported that the incidents allegedly transpired between 2006 and 2013. —Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Details of what transpired were unavailable Monday and Delaney remained in jail as of Sunday night with no bail listed for the felony arrest allegation. —Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French transpirer, from Medieval Latin transpirare, from Latin trans- + spirare to breathe

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for transpire

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flier
• flyer
• friar

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Kids Definition

transpire

verb

tran·​spire tran(t)s-ˈpī(ə)r 

transpired; transpiring

1

: to pass or give off in the form of water vapor through stomata in leaves

2

: to become known or apparent : become revealed

it transpired that we had the wrong address

3

: to come to pass : happen

what transpired last night