transient, transitory, ephemeral, momentary, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent mean lasting or staying only a short time. transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

TRANSIENT definition: not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory. See examples of transient used in a sentence.

TRANSIENT definition: 1. lasting for only a short time; temporary: 2. someone who lives only temporarily in a place: 3…. Learn more.

1. not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory. 2. lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary: transient authority. 3. staying only a short time: transient guests at a hotel. n. 4. a …

If something is transient, it only lasts a short time, such as an electrical surge due to lightning.

There are 16 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word transient, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Use the adjective transient to describe something that always changes or moves around. If your older brother is constantly moving from city to city, you can say he's transient.

Dec 14, 2025 · Noun transient (plural transients) Something that is transient. (physics) A transient phenomenon, especially an electric current; a very brief surge. (acoustics) A relatively loud, …

TRANSIENT meaning: 1 : not lasting long; 2 : staying somewhere only a short time

not permanent; transitory: a transient illness. staying only a short time and passing through: transient guests at a hotel. n. [countable] a person or thing that is transient: Transients for …