transient

American  

[tran-shuhnt, -zhuhnt, -zee-uhnt] / ˈtræn ʃənt, -ʒənt, -zi ənt /

adjective

1. not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory.

2. lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary.

   transient authority.

   Synonyms:

   evanescent, fugitive, flying, fleeting

   Antonyms:

   permanent

3. staying only a short time.

   the transient guests at a hotel.

4. Philosophy. transeunt.

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noun

1. a person or thing that is transient, especially a temporary guest, boarder, laborer, or the like.

2. Mathematics.

   1. a function that tends to zero as the independent variable tends to infinity.

   2. a solution, especially of a differential equation, having this property.

3. Physics.

   1. a nonperiodic signal of short duration.

   2. a decaying signal, wave, or oscillation.

4. Electricity. a sudden pulse of voltage or current.

transient British  

/ ˈtrænzɪənt /

adjective

1. for a short time only; temporary or transitory

2. philosophy a variant of transeunt

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noun

1. a transient person or thing

2. physics a brief change in the state of a system, such as a sudden short-lived oscillation in the current flowing through a circuit

Synonym Usage

See temporary.

Other Word Forms

• nontransient
  adjective
• nontransiently
  adverb
• nontransientness
  noun
• transience
  noun
• transiently
  adverb
• transientness
  noun
• untransient
  adjective
• untransiently
  adverb
• untransientness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of transient

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin trānsiēns “going across,” present participle of trānsīre “to go across, pass over”; see transit

Explanation

Use the adjective transient to describe something that always changes or moves around. If your older brother is constantly moving from city to city, you can say he's transient. Transient is most often used to modify nouns like nature, threat, source and cause, which suggests that the word often shows up in formal contexts, like analysis of finance or global terrorism. But it can also be used for anything that moves quickly from one thing to another, like a transient feeling or facial expression. Transient is also a noun meaning "a person who moves from place to place; a homeless person." The word comes from Latin transire, "to pass over," so you can think of it as describing things that are quickly passed over.

Example Sentences

The system is also only the second known long-period radio transient found to produce regular X-rays.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

"Many of the affected areas are mining towns with highly mobile and transient populations. This mobility increases risk as people move between communities and across borders," says Lang.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

“We believe these are known and transient headwinds, not long-term structural issues,” Reintjes said.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Authorities immediately located 45-year-old Patrick Keys, a known transient in the area, and arrested him without incident, Bundy said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

We are the delicate part, transient and vulnerable as cilia.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• ephemeral
• fleeting
• short-term
• transitory