ocean

noun, often attributive \ ˈō-shən \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Examples: ocean in a Sentence

Definition of ocean

1 a : 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

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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 of ocean from the Web

Elsewhere, organizations are hosting beach cleanups and marches, launching eco-friendly plastic alternatives and announcing campaigns to save our oceans from plastics.

— CNN, "World Oceans Day 2018 -- the live blog," 7 June 2018
In water, the laws of hydrodynamics explain the sleek, tapered body shape shared by the shark (a fish), the dolphin (a mammal) and the extinct ichthyosaur reptile, which plied the Mesozoic oceans.

— charles s. cockell, WSJ, "The Limits of Extra-Terrestrial Freakiness," 7 June 2018
In 2016, just over 3,600 vessels actively fished on the high seas—the open ocean outside any country's jurisdiction.

— chris johns, National Geographic, "High Seas Fishing Isn’t Just Destructive—It’s Unprofitable," 6 June 2018
Watch Saint Laurent's Epic New York City Fashion Show Right Here ALAIN JOCARD Anthony Vaccarello takes his latest collection for the Parisian brand on a road trip—across the Atlantic ocean.

— matt sebra, GQ, "Watch Saint Laurent's Epic New York City Fashion Show Right Here," 6 June 2018
The Trump administration on Thursday moved to vastly expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans with a plan that would open up federal waters off the California coast for the first time in more than three decades.

— jim turner, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Push continues for drilling off Florida coast," 6 June 2018
As our climate changes and oceans get warmer, animals will modify their usual routes and behavior patterns.

— larisa bennett, Smithsonian, "Smart Software Helps Fishermen Catch the Fish They Want, Not Endangered Species," 6 June 2018
By 2050, it is estimated the ocean will contain more plastic by weight than fish.

— mckenna moore, Fortune, "Adrian Grenier and Aidan Gallagher Want You to Fight Plastic Pollution for World Environment Day," 5 June 2018
It’s hard to combat the apocalyptic sound bites, including an estimate that, by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, according to a 2016 report from the World Economic Forum.

— kate krader, Bloomberg.com, "Paper Straws Are So Hot Right Now, There’s Been a Run on Supplies," 5 June 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of ocean

Middle English occean, from Anglo-French, from Latin oceanus, from Greek Ōkeanos, a river thought of as encircling the earth, ocean

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

ocean Synonyms

Synonyms

abysm, abyss, chasm, deep, gulf;

Related Words

cleft, crevasse, crevice, fissure;

cavern, hole, hollow, pit;

breadth, expanse, extent, reach, spread, stretch;

black hole, emptiness, nothingness, vacancy, vacuum, void;

Other Oceanography Terms

littoral, sound

OCEAN Defined for English Language Learners

ocean

noun

Definition of ocean for English Language Learners

: the salt water that covers much of the Earth's surface
: one of the five large areas of salt water that cover much of the Earth's surface
: a very large number or amount of something