transience

Transience denotes the state or quality of lasting only a short time; the condition of being temporary or fleeting. The term derives from Latin transire and, through French and English usage, is often contrasted with permanence or longevity. A thing may be described as transient if its existence or relevance is limited in duration or quickly passes.

In philosophy and religion, transience relates to impermanence—the idea that all phenomena are in flux and lack lasting essence. In Buddhism, the concept of anicca emphasizes that all conditioned phenomena arise, change, and cease. In Western thought, transience has been connected to changes in time, experience, and perception, influencing attitudes toward attachment and mindfulness.

In the sciences, transience refers to temporary behavior following a disturbance. In physics and electronics, a transient describes non-steady-state activity that dies away, such as a circuit's transient response. In chemistry, transient species are short-lived intermediates. In ecology and sociology, transience can describe brief occupancy or movement of individuals or populations moving through an area rather than long-term settlement.

In culture, transience is a common motif in literature and art, reflecting nostalgia and the fragility of memory. Scholars study transience to understand how time, change, and memory shape human experience.