oceanic

adjective

oce·​an·​ic ˌō-shē-ˈa-nik How to pronounce oceanic (audio)
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.
These moves aim to protect coastlines, secure maritime trade routes, assert oceanic claims, and bolster global influence. Sturla Henriksen, Time, 5 June 2025 To wit: the scene where Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss perform a fish autopsy on the tiger shark (the movie's red herring, to use more oceanic metaphors), and yank out its guts. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 4 June 2025 And Jacques Cousteau’s Diving for Sunken Treasure fueled oceanic obsession in both Max Fischer (of Rushmore) and Steve Zissou (of, The Life Aquatic). Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2025 And if these virtual recreations of stellar self-destruction are windows into the very distant past, then that might also mean our own waterlogged, paradisiacal world is just one in a considerably long line of oceanic planets. Robin George Andrews, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Oceanic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oceanic. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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