great white shark

noun

: a large mackerel shark (Carcharodon carcharias) of warm seas that is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age and has been known to attack humans

called also white shark

see shark illustration

Examples of great white shark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His grandfather ran across great white sharks; his father, orcas; Hubbard himself has crossed paths with pilot whales, a right whale and one of the largest leatherback turtles he's ever seen. Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 The deadliest animal to have ever roamed the earth is not the great white shark, or snakes, or even rats that caused three great plagues in history, decimating the human population at the time. New Atlas, 26 July 2026 Her tattoos include two great white sharks (on her lower back and neck), two zebra sharks, two tiger sharks, two sand tiger sharks and a school of 13 hammerhead sharks. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 26 July 2026 Except this predator isn’t a 25-foot, three-ton great white shark. Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for great white shark

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of great white shark was in 1774

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Great white shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20white%20shark. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

great white shark

noun
: a large and dangerous shark of warm seas that is quick to attack human beings and is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age

Medical Definition

great white shark

noun
: a large shark (Carcharodon carcharias of the family Lamnidae) that is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age and has been known to attack humans

called also white shark

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