transubstantiate

UK: /ˌtrænsəbˈstænʃɪeɪt/ US: (tran′səb stan′shē āt′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

tran•sub•stan•ti•ate  (tran′səb stan′shē āt′), v.t., -at•ed, -at•ing. 

1. to change from one substance into another;
   transmute.
2. [Theol.] to change (the bread and wine) into the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

• Medieval Latin trānssubstantiātus, past participle of trānssubstantiāre. See trans-, substance, -ate¹
• verb, verbal use of late Middle English transsubstanciate (adjective, adjectival) transubstantiated 1400–50

tran′sub•stan ′tial, adj. 
tran′sub•stan ′tial•ly, adv.