cetacean
noun
ce·ta·cean
si-ˈtā-shən 
: any of an order (Cetacea) of aquatic mostly marine mammals that includes the whales, dolphins, porpoises, and related forms and that have a torpedo-shaped nearly hairless body, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, one or two nares opening externally at the top of the head, and a horizontally flattened tail used for locomotion
cetacean
adjective
Examples of cetacean in a Sentence
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Importantly, this new science could converge with Indigenous peoples’ ancestral knowledge of and relations with cetaceans, which recently led Indigenous leaders of New Zealand, Tahiti, and the Cook Islands to sign a treaty recognizing the legal personhood of cetaceans.
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David Gruber, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
Matthew Wills September 6, 2022 Whale-watching cruises can negatively affect the behavior of cetaceans, depending on species, environment, and population.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
Future versions of it could help study other cetacean species besides Atlantic spotted dolphins, like bottlenose or spinner dolphins.
—Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Animals at the continuum’s other end—including great apes, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), and elephants—possess a complex consciousness and self-consciousness, exquisite sentience, robust general intelligence, and a powerful sense of autonomy.
—Steven M. Wise, Foreign Affairs, 28 Apr. 2015
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David Gruber, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
Matthew Wills September 6, 2022 Whale-watching cruises can negatively affect the behavior of cetaceans, depending on species, environment, and population.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
Future versions of it could help study other cetacean species besides Atlantic spotted dolphins, like bottlenose or spinner dolphins.
—Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Animals at the continuum’s other end—including great apes, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), and elephants—possess a complex consciousness and self-consciousness, exquisite sentience, robust general intelligence, and a powerful sense of autonomy.
—Steven M. Wise, Foreign Affairs, 28 Apr. 2015
See All Example Sentences for cetacean
Cite this Entry
“Cetacean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cetacean. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cetacean
noun
ce·ta·cean
si-ˈtā-shən
: any of an order of aquatic mammals (as a whale, dolphin, or porpoise)
cetacean
adjective
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