oceanic

adjective

oce·​an·​ic ˌō-shē-ˈa-nik 

1

a

: of or relating to the ocean

b

: occurring in or frequenting the ocean and especially the open sea as distinguished from littoral or neritic waters

2

: vast, great

3

Oceanic linguistics : relating to, belonging to, or characterizing a subfamily of the Austronesian family of languages that is spoken in Polynesia and most of the islands of Melanesia and Micronesia

Synonyms of oceanic

• marine
• maritime

Examples of oceanic in a Sentence

the theory that ancient mariners took advantage of oceanic currents to roam the seas on primitive rafts

during his solo crossing of the Atlantic he managed to avoid the fierce oceanic storms that rage in those tropical latitudes

Recent Examples on the Web

Basalt also covers most of the oceanic crust, and scientists have been exploring the potential for sub-seafloor storage reservoirs. —Ramesh Agarwal, The Conversation, 2 Dec. 2025

Other iconic marine animals, including whale sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks and manta rays, were also added to a list that bans all the commercial trade of their species or by-products. —Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2025

There’s nothing like the oceanic feeling of celebrating a touchdown or a home run or a classic guitar solo with tens of thousands of people who are having the same fan experience as you. —John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025

His second venture into an oceanic film? —Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin Ōceanicus, from Ōceanus "the sea flowing around the land mass of the known world, ocean" + -icus -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing oceanic

• inter-oceanic
• oceanic whitetip
• oceanic white-tipped shark
• oceanic whitetip shark

Rhymes for oceanic

• aldermanic
• inorganic
• magellanic
• messianic
• pozzolanic
• talismanic
• transuranic
• bannock
• laennec
• manic
• panic
• stannic