Britannica Dictionary definition of TRANCE [count] 1 : a state that is like being asleep except that you can move and respond to questions and commands like a person who is awake The hypnotist put him in a (hypnotic) trance. The spiritual healer fell/went into a trance. 2 : a state in which you are not aware of what is happening around you because you are thinking of something else He was staring out the window in a trance.