trans.
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Translated by |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Writing & Everyday |
| Also written | trans |
trans. has three meanings. The most common are Translated by (citation and bibliography) and Transitive (grammar and dictionary); it can also stand for Transition needed.
Meanings of trans. at a glance
| # | trans. stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Translated by | Writing & Everyday › Citation and Bibliography |
| 2 | Transitive | Writing & Everyday › Grammar and Dictionary |
| 3 | Transition needed | Writing & Everyday › Proofreading and Correction Mark |
1. Translated by
Writing & Everyday · Citation and Bibliography Abbreviations
Introduces the translator's name after a title in a citation, as in "trans. Edith Grossman," or follows a name to identify that person as translator. Variants include tr. and transl.
Example: Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote. Trans. Edith Grossman. New York: Ecco, 2003.
MLA 9 spells out "translated by" in works-cited entries, and Chicago uses "trans." in notes and "Translated by" in bibliographies. APA puts the translator in parentheses after the title, as in "(E. Grossman, Trans.)," and adds the original publication date. In grammar, trans. means transitive.
2. Transitive
Writing & Everyday · Grammar and Dictionary Abbreviations
Short label for transitive in grammar notes and dictionary entries, meaning a verb that takes a direct object. It appears in phrases such as "v. trans." or "trans. and intr."
Example: accept (v. trans.) to receive something offered: "She accepted the award."
Some dictionaries prefer vt. or tr., while others print "transitive" in full. Ditransitive verbs such as "give" take two objects ("give her the book"). In citations, trans. means "translated by," and teachers write "trans" in margins for a weak transition, so the setting matters.
3. Transition needed (trans)
Writing & Everyday · Proofreading and Correction Mark Abbreviations
Margin comment indicating that the connection between sentences or paragraphs is unclear or abrupt, asking for a linking word, phrase or sentence such as "however," "as a result" or "in contrast."
Example: My essay jumped from the causes of the war to its outcome, and the teacher wrote trans between the paragraphs.
Transitions signal relationships such as contrast, cause and effect, sequence and example. Overusing words like "furthermore" can be as distracting as having no transitions, so teachers encourage linking ideas through content too. In grammar trans. means transitive, and in citations it means translated by.
Related abbreviations
More citation and bibliography abbreviations
- abr. – Abridged
- AMA – AMA Manual of Style
- anon. – Anonymous
- AP – Associated Press Stylebook
- APA – American Psychological Association (style)
- app. – Appendix
- ARC – Advance reader copy
- bibliog. – Bibliography
See all 58 citation and bibliography abbreviations →