transcended

Transcended is the past tense and past participle form of the English verb transcend. To transcend means to rise above or go beyond the limits of something—physical barriers, experiences, or ideas. It can denote surpassing ordinary boundaries, overcoming obstacles, or attaining a higher state.

Etymology: Transcend comes from Latin transcendere, formed from trans- “across” and scandere “to climb.” The sense of moving upward or outward from a boundary informs its modern usage.

Usage: In philosophy and theology, transcendence refers to what lies beyond ordinary experience or the material world; in secular contexts, it is used to describe notable surpassing of limits, such as a transcended performance or transcended expectations. It can be used transitively, as in “She transcended her doubts,” or intransitively, as in “The concept of transcendence is central to the theory.”

In common usage, transcended often conveys the idea of elevating beyond constraints, sometimes implying an aspirational or transformative quality, though it does not itself specify the object of ascent. The term is frequently paired with related forms such as transcendence and transcendent to discuss broader ideas of going beyond limits in ethics, aesthetics, or knowledge.

See also: transcendence, transcendent, transcend.

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