transience

noun

tran·​sience ˈtran(t)-sh(ē-)ən(t)s  ˈtran-zē-ən(t)s 

ˈtran(t)-sē-;

ˈtran-zhən(t)s,

-jən(t)s

: the quality or state of being transient

Synonyms

• ephemerality
• evanescence
• fleetingness
• fugitiveness
• impermanence
• impermanency
• momentariness
• temporariness
• transiency
• transitoriness

Examples of transience in a Sentence

the transience of spring in northern climates means residents get to enjoy temperate weather only briefly before the heat and humidity of summer set in

Recent Examples on the Web

Spirit's ephemerality is so visible that even Saturday Night Live poked fun at its transience in a recent sketch. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 29 Oct. 2024

The trick is that transience itself takes on a thick, solid thinginess, each canvas barnacled over with paint. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024

Freund, for all her accomplishments, led a life marked by transience and adversity. —Ian Malone, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2024

Through her work, Akashi explores universal concepts such as time and space, the impermanence of the natural world and the transience of the human body. —Andrea Onate, WWD, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above