pelagic

adjective

pe·​lag·​ic pə-ˈla-jik 

: of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea : oceanic

pelagic sediment

pelagic birds

pelagic noun

Did you know?

Pelagic comes to us from Greek, via Latin. The Greek word pelagikos became pelagicus in Latin and then pelagic in English. (Pelagikos is derived from pelagos, the Greek word for the sea—it is also a source of archipelago—plus the adjectival suffix -ikos.) Pelagic first showed up in dictionaries in 1656; a definition from that time says that Pelagick (as it was then spelled) meant "of the Sea, or that liveth in the Sea." Centuries later, writers are still using pelagic with the same meaning, albeit less frequently than its more familiar synonym oceanic.

Synonyms of pelagic

• marine
• oceanic

Examples of pelagic in a Sentence

among pelagic animals the undisputed king is the blue whale, the largest creature currently roaming the face of the earth

at one time pelagic whaling was the cornerstone of the island's economy

Recent Examples on the Web

The same goes for the San Diego-Scripps conservation area, except for the recreational taking of coastal pelagic species (northern anchovy, Pacific sardine, Pacific mackerel and jack mackerel) by hook and line only. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026

Kona Blackwater Dive is an advanced, thrilling dive over deep water (thousands of feet) to witness the nightly migration of pelagic, alien-like and larval creatures. —Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026

Mark Fitchett, a pelagic fisheries scientist, said local small-boat fishers hold a range of views on the sharks and their growing depredation. —CBS News, 11 Mar. 2026

One third of pelagic sharks and rays are now threatened with extinction. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin pelagicus, from Greek pelagikos, from pelagos sea — more at plagal

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pelagic

• magic
• tragic

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

pelagic

adjective

pe·​lag·​ic pə-ˈlaj-ik 

: of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea : oceanic

pelagic fish