1
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
Relevance
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
Meanwhile, offshore, the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge pulses with life: think harbor seals, black oystercatchers, and pelagic cormorants.
—
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
But since these pelagic fish spend most of their time at depths of 1,000 feet or more, and are typically only caught by ocean longliners, scientists are still trying to understand their biology and life histories.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2025
The scientists noticed a drop in their prey, such as small pelagic fishes in the case of seals and smaller benthic sharks in the case of sevengill sharks.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2025
The usual hue of the living version is greenish-brown, according to John Ugoretz, pelagic fisheries and ecosystem program manager for the department.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pelagic
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
But since these pelagic fish spend most of their time at depths of 1,000 feet or more, and are typically only caught by ocean longliners, scientists are still trying to understand their biology and life histories.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2025
The scientists noticed a drop in their prey, such as small pelagic fishes in the case of seals and smaller benthic sharks in the case of sevengill sharks.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2025
The usual hue of the living version is greenish-brown, according to John Ugoretz, pelagic fisheries and ecosystem program manager for the department.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pelagic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pelagic
Adjective
-
Sea star wasting disease is a rare example of a fast and coordinated response to a marine epidemic.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Authorities add that polluted water, marine debris, and unstable cliffs may also pose hazards, according to a webpage from the National Park Service (NPS).—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Everyone seems to symbolize something…but the oceanic flood of writing itself is always carrying them away, just beyond intelligibility.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The Ring of Fire surrounds much of the Pacific Ocean and is home to numerous oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and fault systems.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The implosion of the Titan killed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and led to lawsuits and calls for tighter regulation of private deep-sea expeditions.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
-
This is the first time such a relationship has been recorded in the genus Laevidentalium, offering new insights into how deep-sea organisms coexist in extreme environments.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pelagic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pelagic. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share