Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to the ocean.
  • adjective Relating to the open ocean, away from coastal waters.
  • adjective Relating to or inhabiting the ocean waters that lie beyond the continental shelf and exceed 200 meters (656 feet) in depth.
  • adjective Resembling an ocean in expanse; vast.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to or noting the languages of the Malay-Polynesian group.
  • Belonging or relating to the ocean: as, the oceanic areas, basins, islands, etc.
  • Wide or extended as the ocean.
  • Specifically, in zoology, inhabiting the high seas; pelagic.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to the ocean; found or formed in or about, or produced by, the ocean; frequenting the ocean, especially mid-ocean.
  • adjective Of or pertaining to Oceania or its inhabitants.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of or relating to the ocean.
  • adjective Living in, produced by, or frequenting the ocean; pelagic.
  • adjective Resembling an ocean in vastness or extent.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective constituting or living in the open sea
  • adjective resembling the ocean in apparent limitlessness in extent or degree
  • noun an eastern subfamily of Malayo-Polynesian languages
  • adjective relating to or occurring or living in or frequenting the open ocean

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word oceanic.

Examples

  • The census takers conceded Monday, however, that they still have a poor understanding of both sea microbes and sea plants, both of which play a crucial role in oceanic life.

    Marine Census Shows Vast Diversity of Sea Life Gautam Naik 2010

  • But just how much artificial warming — as opposed to natural drifts in oceanic temperatures — contributed to the drought that struck Darfur is as debatable as the relationship between global warming and the destruction of New Orleans.

    The Real Roots of Darfur 2007

  • What about arranging for the descent into the caves with a type of mobile tethered and insulated bathysphere, similar to that used in oceanic diving.

    The Giant Crystal Caves of Naica 2007

  • But just how much artificial warming — as opposed to natural drifts in oceanic temperatures — contributed to the drought that struck Darfur is as debatable as the relationship between global warming and the destruction of New Orleans.

    The Real Roots of Darfur 2007

  • This will reduce vertical mixing and suppress the upward flux of nutrients, leading to a decline in oceanic primary production.

    Archive 2006-01-01 Nick Anthis 2006

  • This will reduce vertical mixing and suppress the upward flux of nutrients, leading to a decline in oceanic primary production.

    A Hot Topic Nick Anthis 2006

  • Civil Engineering and Nautics (Vol. 4, Part III) still offers the best explanation of why China led the world in oceanic exploration in the fourteenth century.

    Think Big, Be Big 2005

  • Civil Engineering and Nautics (Vol. 4, Part III) still offers the best explanation of why China led the world in oceanic exploration in the fourteenth century.

    Think Big, Be Big 2005

  • But, no, at 7am, there was a jarring wake-up call and what ensued was a two-and-a-half-hour torture session in oceanic hell boat trip, with much rolling and slamming over the playful, bouncy waves.

    Archive 2005-03-01 2005

  • According to the Earth Policy Institute, scientists have measured definite increases in oceanic “dead zones” that are caused by fertilizer run-off and air pollution.

    Archive for » 2004 » June : Sustainablog 2004

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.