What does trance mean?
A trance is a state of altered consciousness in which awareness and ordinary responsiveness can be greatly reduced. It may involve apparent unconsciousness or immobility, as in hypnosis, but it can also involve intense absorption or rapture rather than complete sleep. In ordinary language, “in a trance” describes someone so focused or overcome that they seem unaware of their surroundings, while “fall into a trance” is an established expression for entering such a state. The word is also used in historical and cultural accounts of ritual dance, religious ecstasy, and theatrical performance. Although “trance” can sound dramatic or literary, the basic sense remains common in discussions of hypnosis and performance. As a verb, “trance” is rare and literary: it means to put someone into such a state or to become entranced. The word is especially memorable because its history does not initially suggest hypnosis at all. It entered Middle English from French with the meaning “passage” or “transit,” a sense ultimately rooted in Latin ideas of passing across.
A state of altered consciousness or intense absorption in which a person may be unresponsive to their surroundings. It can also refer to an ecstatic or rapturous state, especially in religious or performative contexts.
"She remained in a trance for several minutes after the performance ended."
To put someone into a trance or to become absorbed in a trance.
"The storyteller's voice seemed to trance the entire audience."
The countable plural is used for separate instances of the state, though singular constructions such as “in a trance” are much more common.
"Ancient accounts describe worshippers falling into trances during the ceremony."
The word began life as a synonym for “passage,” making its later meaning—a suspended state of consciousness—even more surreal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does trance come from?
Trance entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed from French transe, meaning “passage” or “transit.” The French word in turn came from Latin transitus, “passage, way through,” derived from transire, “to go across, pass over.” The semantic route from “passage” to the later senses of altered consciousness and ecstatic absorption is not entirely transparent.
Related word forms
How trance is actually used
The noun's basic meaning is neutral, although it can sound dramatic or literary when describing intense absorption or religious ecstasy. The verb is rare and chiefly literary; modern speakers normally choose words such as “hypnotized” or “mesmerized” for the causative sense.