Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense transpires, present participle transpiring, past tense, past participle transpired
1. verb
When ittranspiresthat something is the case, people discover that it is the case.
[formal]
It transpired that Paolo had left his driving licence at home. [VERB that]
As it transpired, the Labour government did not dare go against the pressures exertedby the City. [VERB]
Synonyms: become known, emerge, come out, be discovered More Synonyms of transpire
2. verb
When something transpires, it happens. Some speakers of English consider this use to be incorrect.
Nothing is known as yet about what transpired at the meeting. [VERB]
Synonyms: happen, occur, take place, arise More Synonyms of transpire
transpire in British English
(trænˈspaɪə)
verb
1. (intransitive)
to come to light; be known
2. (intransitive) informal
to happen or occur
3. physiology
to give off or exhale (water or vapour) through the skin, a mucous membrane, etc
4.
(of plants) to lose (water in the form of water vapour), esp through the stomata of the leaves
▶ USAGE It is often maintained that transpire should not be used to mean happen or occur, as in the event transpired late in the evening, and that the word is properly used to mean become known, as in it transpired later that the thief had been caught. The word is, however, widely used in the former sense, esp in spoken English
Derived forms
transpirable (tranˈspirable)
adjective
transpiration (ˌtrænspəˈreɪʃən)
noun
transpiratory (tranˈspiratory) or rare transpirational (ˌtranspiˈrational)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Medieval Latin transpīrāre, from Latin trans- + spīrāre to breathe
transpire in American English
(trænˈspaɪr)
verb transitiveWord forms: tranˈspired or tranˈspiring
1.
to cause (vapor, moisture, etc.) to pass through tissue or other permeable substances, esp. through the pores of the skin or the surface of leaves, etc.
verb intransitive
2.
to give off vapor, moisture, etc., as through the pores of the skin
3.
to be given off, passed through pores, exhaled, etc.
4.
to leak out; become known
5. US
to come to pass; happen
still regarded by some as a loose usage
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈhappen
Word origin
Fr transpirer < ML transpirare < L trans-, trans- + spirare, to breathe: see spirit
Examples of 'transpire' in a sentence
transpire
It now transpires that corruption has continued.
The Sun (2010)
It now transpires they were right.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Now it transpires she was making a film for a school project that involved wandering around the island asking people leading questions.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Who knows what may have transpired had they stuck with Hodgson.
The Sun (2008)
Now it transpires they may be linked to a woman's infertility.
The Sun (2007)
Now it transpires it is a hostile one, at that.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It now transpires that a new limit of 60mph is being considered.
The Sun (2014)
It transpired I was actually on the first floor and not the ground floor.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Actually, it transpires that it's a charity thing.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It now transpires that the police check happened before, not after, the blocking incident.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
End of argument and, now it transpires, end of career.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Now it transpires she was making a documentary for a school PROJECT that involved wandering around the island asking people leadingquestions.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Now it transpires that dolphins are also capable of self-sacrifice and altruism, which hitherto had only belonged in the realm of myth.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Now it transpires that dolphins are also capable of self-sacrifice and altruism,which hitherto had belonged only in the realm of myth.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In other languages
transpire
British English: transpire VERB
When it transpires that something is the case, people discover that it is the case.
It transpired that he had left his driver's license at home.
American English: transpire
Brazilian Portuguese: transparecer
Chinese: > 发现人们
European Spanish: resultar
French: s'avérer
German: sich herausstellen
Italian: emergere
Japanese: 明らかになる
Korean: 알고 보니 ~이다
European Portuguese: transparecer
Latin American Spanish: resultar
1 (verb)
Definition
to come to light
It transpired that he had left his driving licence at home.
Synonyms
become known
emerge
Several interesting facts emerged from his story.
come out
The truth is beginning to come out now.
be discovered
come to light
Nothing about this sum has come to light.
be disclosed
be made public
2 (verb)
Definition
to happen or occur
(informal)
Nothing is known about what transpired at the meeting.
Synonyms
happen
We cannot say for sure what will happen.
occur
The meeting occurred in secret.
take place
Similar demonstrations also took place elsewhere.
arise
if a problem arises later in pregnancy
turn up
come about
A lasting solution to this problem can only come about through dialogue.
come to pass (archaic)
Everything I said about the game came to pass that night.
Usage note
It is sometimes maintained that transpire should not be used to mean `happen' or `occur', as in the event transpired late in the evening, and that the word is properly used to mean `become known', as in it transpired later that the thief had been caught. The word is, however, widely used in the first sense, especially in spoken English.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of arise
Definition
to come into notice
if a problem arises later in pregnancy
Synonyms
happen,
start,
begin,
follow,
issue,
result,
appear,
develop,
emerge,
occur,
spring,
set in,
stem,
originate,
ensue,
come about,
commence,
come to light,
emanate,
crop up (informal),
come into being,
materialize
in the sense of come about
Definition
to happen
A lasting solution to this problem can only come about through dialogue.
Synonyms
happen,
result,
occur,
take place,
arise,
transpire (informal),
befall,
come to pass
in the sense of come out
Definition
to be made public or revealed
The truth is beginning to come out now.
Synonyms
be revealed,
emerge,
be reported,
be announced,
become apparent,
come to light,
be divulged
Synonyms of 'transpire'
transpire
Explore 'transpire' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of come to light
Definition
to become known or visible
Nothing about this sum has come to light.
Synonyms
be revealed,
appear,
come out,
turn up,
be discovered,
become known,
become apparent,
be disclosed,
transpire
in the sense of come to pass
Everything I said about the game came to pass that night.
Synonyms
happen,
develop,
occur,
take place,
come up,
fall out,
roll up,
befall
in the sense of emerge
Definition
to become apparent, esp. as the result of a discussion or investigation