transgressive

/tɹænzˈɡɹɛsɪv/

//tɹænzˈɡɹɛsɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"transgressive" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“transgressive” is uncommon English (frequency #58,420 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,420
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Involving transgression; that passes beyond some acceptable limit; sinful.

Key facts for transgressive
PropertyValue
Headwordtransgressive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/tɹænzˈɡɹɛsɪv/
Letters13
Frequency rank#58,420
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “transgressive” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). transgressive lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

transgressive is uncommon English at frequency #58,420 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /tɹænzˈɡɹɛsɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for transgressive in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From transgress + -ive. The correct English form is transgressive, spelled T-R-A-N-S-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Involving transgression; that passes beyond some acceptable limit; sinful.
  2. 2
    Going beyond generally accepted boundaries; violating usual practice, subversive.

Etymology

From transgress + -ive.

This word in other languages

transgressif(Français)grenzüberschreitend(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "transgressive"?
"transgressive" is spelled T-R-A-N-S-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /tɹænzˈɡɹɛsɪv/.
What does "transgressive" mean?
As an adjective, "transgressive" means: Involving transgression; that passes beyond some acceptable limit; sinful.
How do you pronounce "transgressive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "transgressive" is /tɹænzˈɡɹɛsɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "transgressive"?
From transgress + -ive. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “transgressive”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-R-A-N-S-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /tɹænzˈɡɹɛsɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list