transition

noun

Definition of transitionnext
as in transformation
a change from one state or condition to another We want to have a smooth transition when the new owners take control of the company. the sometimes difficult transition from childhood to adulthood The country made a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of transition The temporary shelter led to a 65% reduction in encampments, served 95 people and helped 14 households transition to permanent housing in its first year of operation, according to Bontrager and a City Council staff report. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 In an official statement today, Norway prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre marked the passing of Harald and the transition to a new era. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 Camille only wants Juliette to help her manage Silo 18’s transition into memory loss. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 After South Africa's democratic transition in 1994, the family began thinking about how the surrounding communities could benefit from the land and its future. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for transition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transition
  1. transformation
  2. shift
  3. conversion
  4. adjustment
Noun
  • Another stunning composite view of last night's lunar shenanigans was taken by Kohinoor Kar, who documented the transformation of the lunar disk from full Sturgeon Moon to an eclipsed near-blood moon from Phoenix, Arizona.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The building went through an even bigger transformation in 2018, when the interior was stripped down to the studs and completely remodeled, Lange said.
    — Evan Moore August 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of transformation
Noun
  • The role of companies Singapore’s new scheme shifts from merely encouraging births to focus on family well-being over the long term, which might help change how potential parents think about children.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • As Mark Gurman from Bloomberg has pointed out, Apple has made this shift before when the Friday has been on this date.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of shift
Noun
  • Image features range from generation and upscaling to background replacement, object removal, face swapping, and sketch-to-image conversion.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Nole Register threw a 13-yard pass to Carter Morrison in the extra period, then hit Morrison again for a 2-point conversion for the victory.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of conversion
Noun
  • Teams could still make adjustments on other days for injuries, trades and some other transactions.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Waiting from age 62 until 70 to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits provides an approximate 76% total benefit boost as well as roughly 76% more of every annual cost-of-living adjustment, Mahaney writes in the research.
    — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of adjustment

Browse Nearby Words

transiting
transition
transitional
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Transition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transition. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on transition

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about transition

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All