PELAGIC Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

pelagic

adjective

pə-ˈla-jik

Definition of pelagic

as in marine

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in oceanic

of, relating to, or occurring in the open sea at one time pelagic whaling was the cornerstone of the island's economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

littoral

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of pelagic 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 For the advanced, channels around the islands work like pelagic highways, attracting more than 3,000 different marine species. — Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pelagic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pelagic

Adjective

Scientists have taken advantage of this DNA time machine for one of the world's most endangered marine animals, revealing a story that can't be told by population counts alone.

— Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
The divers reported the discovery to the Sicilian Region’s Superintendency of the Sea, a public body that oversees the identification and management of marine archeological sites off the island's coastal waters.

— Christopher Cann, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of marine

Adjective

After a Soviet ballistic missile submarine sank in the Pacific Ocean in 1968, the CIA secretly built the Hughes Glomar Explorer, disguised as a deep-sea mining vessel, to recover the wreck from nearly 5,000 meters (16,500 feet) below the surface.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
The tests demonstrate the underlying sensing and healing mechanisms, not a finished skin ready to spend years clinging to a deep-sea robot.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of deep-sea

Browse Nearby Words

pelages

pelagic

pelerine

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“Pelagic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pelagic. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pelagic

adjective

Example Sentences

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