I'd argue that a compiler is just a subset of transpilers that target direct hardware instructions (CPU/GPU/some niche specific hardware). Every other argument

I'd argue that a compiler is just a subset of transpilers that target direct hardware instructions (CPU/GPU/some niche specific hardware). Every other argument between the two come across, to me, as more of an emotional arbitrariness of what is a "real" compiled language. Of course, this makes Java, and others, to not actually be compiled. That makes sense to me.