trans

trans — adjective

1. describes how atoms sit on opposing ends of a double carbon bond or ring structu

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes how atoms sit on opposing ends of a double carbon bond or ring structure, rather than clustering together on one side (the arrangement called cis)

Example

Hiro and Adina compared the trans isomer with the cis version in their lab report.

trans isomer vs. cis isomer — contrasting chemical structures

The chemist explained that trans fats have a different molecular shape from cis fats.

trans fats — common compound noun using the prefix

Common collocations
  • trans isomer
  • trans fat
  • trans configuration
  • trans bond
  • trans-2-butene
Synonyms
  • E-isomer

    IUPAC-preferred term for certain trans configurations; more formal and precise in academic chemistry writing

Antonyms
  • cis

    describes the arrangement where atoms are on the same side of the bond

Usage Note

Frequently paired with 'cis' to describe the two possible arrangements. Common in food science when discussing trans fats in processed foods.

Common Mistakes

Trans fat is a type of vitamin.
Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat with a specific molecular shape.
trans describes a chemical structure, not a nutritional category.

2. describes a person whose personal sense of their own gender is different from th

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a person whose personal sense of their own gender is different from the sex they were officially recorded as having at birth

Example

Meera came out as trans during her second year at university.

The clinic now offers hormone therapy and counseling for trans patients.

collocation: trans patients — healthcare context

Common collocations
  • trans people
  • trans woman
  • trans man
  • trans community
  • trans rights
  • trans youth
Synonyms
  • transgender

    the full form of the word; slightly more formal but interchangeable in most contexts

Antonyms
  • cisgender

    describes a person whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth

Usage Note

Shortened form of 'transgender'. Used as an adjective, not a noun — write 'trans people' rather than 'transgenders'. Always respect the person's stated identity.

Common Mistakes

She is a trans.
She is a trans woman.
trans is an adjective, not a noun.
Transgenders face discrimination.
Trans people face discrimination.
use 'trans people' or 'transgender people'.

trans — prefix

trans — abbreviation

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

These terms relate to gender identity but differ in scope. 'Trans' is a shortened, everyday form of 'transgender' — both describe someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. 'Trans' is slightly more informal and is widely used in community contexts ('trans rights', 'trans people'). 'Non-binary' refers specifically to people whose gender identity falls outside the male-female binary; not all non-binary people identify as trans, though many do. 'Gender-fluid' describes someone whose gender identity shifts over time, which is a subset of non-binary experience. 'Cisgender' is the opposite term, describing people whose gender identity matches their assigned sex. In practice: 'Meera is a trans woman' (specific identity), 'Cyrus identifies as non-binary' (outside binary), 'Linh feels gender-fluid' (shifting identity).

transgendertrans ↗non-binarygender-fluidcisgender

Common collocations

Phrases

  • trans rights
  • trans community
  • trans identity
  • trans fat
  • trans isomer
  • cis and trans

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'trans' comes directly from Latin 'trans', meaning 'across', 'beyond', or 'on the other side'. In Latin, it was used as a preposition and prefix with the same range of meanings. English began borrowing this prefix in the Middle English period, first appearing in words borrowed from French and Latin such as 'transport' and 'transform'. Over time, it became one of the most productive prefixes in English, creating new words in chemistry (trans isomer, 1890s), geography (transatlantic, 1770s), and eventually gender identity (transgender, 1970s, shortened to 'trans' in the 1990s). The chemistry sense and the gender-identity sense both draw on the same core Latin meaning — one describes atoms 'across' a bond, the other describes a person whose identity is 'beyond' the sex they were assigned at birth.