ocean

noun, often attributive

\ ˈō-shən

Definition of ocean

1a : the whole body of salt water that covers nearly three fourths of the surface of the earth

b : any of the large bodies of water (such as the Atlantic Ocean) into which the great ocean is divided

2 : a very large or unlimited space or quantity

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about ocean

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Examples of ocean in a Sentence

We've sailed across hundreds of miles of ocean. the Pacific and Indian oceans

Recent Examples on the Web

The P-8’s submarine detection capabilities, which are designed to pick out small objects on the surface of the ocean such as a submarine snorkel, would be useful for locating aircraft debris. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Japanese F-35 Reported Missing Over the Pacific Ocean," 9 Apr. 2019 The British pop star teased a forthcoming music video (styled by Rebecca Grice) on Instagram with a shot of herself in a spandex suit printed with brown, yellow, and ocean blue dots that had been pulled from Gaultier’s Fall 1995 runway. — Vogue, "Kardashians, Who? Charli XCX Is Obsessed With Vintage Jean Paul Gaultier, Too," 8 Apr. 2019 The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising times of hate. — Jenn M. Jackson, Teen Vogue, "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Died Because of Hatred. That Should Not Be Whitewashed," 4 Apr. 2019 The Rehearsal Dinner Charlotte’s grandfather owns a ranch on the highest point in Santa Ynez, with 360-degree views of vineyards and the ocean; holding the rehearsal dinner there was a no-brainer. — Ryan Ray, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Bride Found Her Gown One Month Before Her Absolutely Stunning Vineyard Wedding," 2 Apr. 2019 The isthmus separates King Cove, a fishing community of about 900 people sandwiched between ocean and mountains, and an all-weather airport at Cold Bay. — Dan Joling, The Seattle Times, "Judge rejects Trump plan for road in Alaska wildlife refuge," 29 Mar. 2019 Best of all is the lack of light pollution or traffic—at night the only lights are the stars and moon above, and the soundtrack (in addition to the hotel’s own groovy Spotify channel) is the whistle of the wind and ocean. — Ingrid Abramovitch, ELLE Decor, "A Design Lover's Guide to the Baja Peninsula," 29 Mar. 2019 Also select sustainable; overfishing causes the decline of certain fish populations, which isn't good for the ocean or you. — Woman's Day, "Everything You Need to Know About Picking Out and Preparing Fish," 19 Sep. 2018 On top of all that, one of the photos American Idol used to promo their season happened to have the top 20 running into the ocean. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "The 2019 'American Idol' Top 20 Contestants Were Just Revealed, Apparently," 24 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ocean.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for ocean

Middle English occean "the sea flowing around the land mass of the known world," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin Ōceanus, borrowed from Greek Ōkeanós, probably of pre-Greek substratal origin

Note: Preserved variants of Greek Ōkeanós, as Ōgḗn, Ōgenós, Ōgēnós, may indicate that the velar stop, whatever its original voicing, was palatalized (hence *ūkʸān-?)—strongly suggesting non-Indo-European origin. Old attempts to find an Indo-European origin (as a comparison with Sanskrit ā-śayāna- "lying on") are unconvincing.

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