aquatic

1 of 2

adjective

aquat·​ic ə-ˈkwä-tik  -ˈkwa- 

1

: growing or living in or frequenting water

aquatic mosquito larvae

2

: taking place in or on water

aquatic sports

aquatically

ə-ˈkwä-ti-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈkwa-

adverb

aquatic

2 of 2

noun

1

: an aquatic animal or plant

2

aquatics ə-ˈkwä-tiks 

-ˈkwa-

plural in form but singular or plural in construction : water sports

Synonyms

Adjective

• underwater
• submarine

Examples of aquatic in a Sentence

Adjective

a lifelong fascination with sharks and other fearsome aquatic creatures

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Get Close to Marine Life A visit to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores offers the opportunity to get up close to aquatic species, such as river otters and loggerhead sea turtles. —Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025

For instance, investigating this biomineralization process in organisms like aquatic mosses could open a parallel path toward environmental cleanup. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025

Noun

Residents of 15 Hudson Yards enjoy over 40,000 square feet of amenities, including a full-floor spa, aquatics center, fitness facilities, wine storage, a golf simulator lounge, private dining suites, and the Skytop rooftop oasis that sits nearly 1,000 feet in the air. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025

Now, with the agreement locked in with the Dutch, Ruesch said the city will consider other countries that have expressed interest in utilizing some of the facilities, especially at the aquatics complex. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

earlier, "of water," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, "living in water," going back to Old French aquatike "having the nature of water," borrowed from Latin aquāticus "of water, growing or living in water," from aqua "water" + -āticus, adjective suffix of appurtenance — more at island entry 1, -age

Noun

derivative of aquatic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for aquatic

• aprotic
• biotic
• chaotic
• cirrhotic
• despotic
• dichotic
• erotic
• euphotic
• exotic
• fibrotic
• hieratic
• hypnotic

Kids Definition

aquatic

1 of 2 adjective

aquat·​ic ə-ˈkwät-ik  -ˈkwat- 

1

: growing or living in or often found in water

aquatic animals

2

: performed in or on water

aquatic sports

aquatic

2 of 2 noun

: an aquatic animal or plant

Medical Definition

aquatic

adjective

aquat·​ic ə-ˈkwät-ik  -ˈkwat- 

: growing or living in or frequenting water

aquatic mosquito larvae