transition

[tran-zish-uhn, -sish-]

noun

1. movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change.

   The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be difficult.

   Synonyms: conversion, passing, changeover

2. Music.

   1. a passing from one key to another; modulation.

   2. a brief modulation; a modulation used in passing.

   3. a sudden, unprepared modulation.

3. a passage from one scene to another by sound effects, music, etc., as in a television program, theatrical production, or the like.

4. Also called gender transition. the process by which a transgender person comes to openly express their gender identity, including changes to their way of dressing, acting, or speaking, to their pronouns, name, or legal gender marker, or to their physical characteristics via hormone therapy and surgery.

   When I began my transition, there was very little information online about testosterone.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a transition.

   He had difficulty transitioning from enlisted man to officer.

2. (of a transgender person) to move toward openly expressing one's gender identity, often by making changes to one's way of dressing, acting, or speaking, to one's pronouns, name, or legal gender marker, or to one's physical characteristics via hormone therapy and surgery.

   My friend is transitioning socially, but she doesn't want hormone therapy or surgery.

transition

/ trænˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. change or passage from one state or stage to another

2. the period of time during which something changes from one state or stage to another

3. music

   1. a movement from one key to another; modulation

   2. a linking passage between two divisions in a composition; bridge

4. Also called: transitional. a style of architecture that was used in western Europe in the late 11th and early 12th century, characterized by late Romanesque forms combined with early Gothic details

5. physics

   1. any change that results in a change of physical properties of a substance or system, such as a change of phase or molecular structure

   2. a change in the configuration of an atomic nucleus, involving either a change in energy level resulting from the emission of a gamma-ray photon or a transformation to another element or isotope

6. a sentence, passage, etc, that connects a topic to one that follows or that links sections of a written work

Other Word Forms

• transitionally adverb
• transitional adjective
• transitionary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of transition¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin trānsitiōn-, stem of trānsitiō “passage, transit across,” from trānsit(us) “gone across” (past participle of trānsīre “to go across, pass over”; transit ) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of transition¹

C16: from Latin transitio ; see _transient

Example Sentences

More than five years after retiring as one of TV’s most recognizable and distinctive personalities, he has transitioned to riffing on weathering the ravages of aging.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The end goal for residents admitted into the facilities will be to transition them into secure housing while providing mental health treatment and other resources.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

However, Mr Mytilineos said high energy costs were an obstacle to European and UK customers and he believed politicians had failed to be honest about the costs of the energy transition.

Read more on BBC

Menopause affects all women differently with most experiencing the transition between ages 45 and 55, though symptoms can begin earlier during perimenopause.

Read more on BBC

In a new report, the Tony Blair Institute says if the transition to renewable energy "continues in a way that raises costs, weakens reliability and weakens growth, it will fail both practically and politically".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• changeover 
• conversion 
• development 
• evolution 
• growth 
• passage 
• progress 
• progression 
• shift 
• transformation 
• upheaval