The process of converting source code written in one programming language into equivalent source code in another programming language at the same abstraction level. Unlike compilation which produces machine code, transpilation produces human-readable code in a different language.
Coined in the 1980s by combining 'translation' and 'compilation', reflecting the hybrid nature of converting between high-level languages. The term gained prominence with the rise of JavaScript frameworks that needed to convert modern syntax to browser-compatible code.
Think of transpilation like translating a book from Spanish to French - you're not changing the story's complexity, just the language it's told in! This is exactly what happens when TypeScript becomes JavaScript or when modern ES6 code becomes ES5 for older browsers.
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