Transition

trænˈzɪʃən

nounmedium🔥Very CommonProcess
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A change or passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another.

trænˈzɪʃən

nounneutralmedium
Process

The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

The transition from childhood to adulthood can be challenging.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're switching from one job to another, or moving from one house to a new one. That change or move is a transition!

👶 For kids: When something changes from one thing to another, like from summer to fall, that's a transition!

More Examples

2

The government announced a smooth transition of power.

3

She found the transition to remote work quite difficult at first.

How It's Used

General

"The transition from summer to autumn is always noticeable."

Business

"The company is undergoing a transition in leadership."

Political

"The country is experiencing a transition to democracy."

2

To change or cause to change from one form, state, or activity to another.

trænˈzɪʃən

verbneutralmedium
Action

To undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of changing from one state or condition to another.

The team transitioned to a new project management system.

💡 Simply: When you 'transition' something, you're making it change. Like if you want to move from a paper to a digital task, you're transitioning your workflow!

👶 For kids: To transition means to change from one thing to another, like when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly!

More Examples

2

She transitioned her career from teaching to writing.

3

The website transitioned smoothly from the old design to the new one.

How It's Used

General

"The company transitioned to a new software system."

Technical

"The graphic artist transitioned the images to a different format."

Tip:Imagine a transformer toy – it transitions between different forms.

Idioms & expressions

transition period

A specific time during which a change or shift happens.

"The transition period after the company merger was a time of uncertainty."

make a transition

To undergo a change or shift.

"After years of planning, she finally made a transition to a new career."

From Latin *trānsīre* (“to go across, pass over”), from *trāns-* (“across”) + *īre* (“to go”). It entered English in the late 15th century.

The word 'transition' has been used in various contexts since its entry into English, initially related to changes or passages, and later applied to social, political, and technological developments.

Memory tip

Think of a 'train station' – a place of transit and change.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to go across, pass over"

smooth transitiontransition periodmake a transitionundergo a transitionpolitical transition

Common misspellings

transistiontransisiontranistion

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written