Word of the Day

: February 22, 2022

transpire

verb tran-SPYRE

What It Means

Transpire means "to happen" or "to become known."

// The police are still trying to determine what transpired on the night of the accident.

// After the business magnate was arrested for financial-related crimes, it transpired that he has been in insurmountable debt for years.

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transpire in Context

"Talk of the benefits of a four-day work week have circulated for years. … Now, it transpires that a six-month trial of a four-day working week is going to be launched in the UK." — Olivia Petter, The Independent (United Kingdom), 17 Jan. 2022

Did You Know?

Transpire (based on Latin spirare, meaning "to breathe") was originally used technically to describe the passage of vapor through the pores of a membrane (such as the skin). From this use developed the figurative sense: "to escape from secrecy" or "to become known." That sense was used in ambiguous contexts and often meant "to happen" or "to take place."