Transient

Origin

From stem of Latin transiens, present participle of transire ("to go over, to pass")

Full definition of transient

Adjective

1. Passing or disappearing with time; transitory.a transient pleasure
• Miltonthis transient world
2. Remaining for only a brief time.a transient view of a landscape
3. (physics) Decaying with time, especially exponentially.
4. (mathematics, stochastic processes, of a state) having a positive probability of being left and never being visited again.
5. Occasional; isolated; one-off; individual.
6. Passing through; passing from one person to another.
7. (philosophy) Operating beyond itself; having an external effect.

Synonyms

• (passing) passing, transitory, temporary
• (brief) brief, ephemeral, fleeting, flighty, fugacious

Antonyms

• (passing) permanent
• (brief) permanent
• (mathematics) recurrent
• (philosophy) immanent

Derived terms

• transience
• transiently
• transientness

Noun

1. Something which is transient.
2. (physics) A transient phenomenon, especially an electric current; a very brief surge.
3. (acoustics) A relatively loud, non-repeating signal in an audio waveform which occurs very quickly, such as the attack of a snare drum.
4. A person who passes through a place for a short time; a traveller; a migrant worker
• 1996, Janette Turner Hospital, Oyster, Virago Press, paperback edition, page 3Then, within the space of a few months, there were more transients than there were locals, and the imbalance seemed morally wrong.
5. An unhoused person

Synonyms

• (4) traveller: itinerant, migrant, traveller
• (5) homeless: homeless

Anagrams

• instanter
• intranets