oceanic

adjective

oce·​an·​ic ˌō-shē-ˈa-nik How to pronounce oceanic (audio)
Synonyms of oceanicnext
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

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
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.
After watching the catch of the day come in, head to the neighboring Umi no Ichi food and shopping hall to grab a bowl of sea-to-table kaisendon—slices of sashimi, jewel-like roe, and other oceanic delights, served atop a bed of rice. Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026 These include Caribbean reef sharks, oceanic white tips, great hammerheads, tiger sharks and bull sharks. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026 The capacity of ringwoodite to store water supports the concept of a deep water cycle, in which oceanic water carried into the mantle at subduction zones can be retained at depth. Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 The Moon is exceptionally large compared with Earth for a natural satellite, and at only 30 Earth-diameters away from the Earth, its gravity is significant enough to be the dominant factor in determining the oceanic tides that our planet experiences. Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oceanic

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of oceanic was in 1656

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oceanic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oceanic. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.

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