a. | 1. | Supereminent; surpassing others; | |||||||||
2. | (Philos.) In the Kantian system, of or pertaining to that which can be determined a priori in regard to the fundamental principles of all human knowledge. What is transcendental, therefore, transcends empiricism; but is does not transcend all human knowledge, or become transcendent. It simply signifies the a priori or necessary conditions of experience which, though affording the conditions of experience, transcend the sphere of that contingent knowledge which is acquired by experience. | ||||||||||
3. | Vaguely and ambitiously extravagant in speculation, imagery, or diction.
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n. | 1. | A transcendentalist. |
Adj. | 1. | transcendental - existing outside of or not in accordance with nature; "find transcendental motives for sublunary action"-Aldous Huxley |
2. | transcendental - of or characteristic of a system of philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual about the empirical and material |