Atlantic Ocean

American  

[at-lan-tik oh-shuhn] / ætˈlæn tɪk ˈoʊ ʃən /

Often the Atlantic

noun

1. an ocean bounded by North America and South America in the Western Hemisphere and by Europe and Africa in the Eastern Hemisphere, with its deepest section in the Puerto Rico Trench: divided by the equator into the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean. 32,870,000 square miles (85,133,000 square kilometers).

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Atlantic Ocean British  

noun

1. the world's second largest ocean, bounded in the north by the Arctic, in the south by the Antarctic, in the west by North and South America, and in the east by Europe and Africa. Greatest depth: 9220 m (30 246 ft). Area: about 81 585 000 sq km (31 500 000 sq miles)

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Atlantic Ocean Cultural  

1. Second-largest ocean in the world, separating North America and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east.

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Etymology

Origin of Atlantic Ocean

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

During the northern hemisphere summer, warm waters associated with El Nino can fuel hurricanes in the central and eastern Pacific, while hindering their development in the Atlantic Ocean.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh sought answers by examining more than 20 years of ocean sampling data collected from Fram Strait, a key passage where Arctic waters flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

The Paris Appeals Court found the airline and aircraft manufacturer guilty of corporate manslaughter over the incident, in which flight AF447 between Rio de Janeiro and Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

For Olson, the highlight of her time aboard the Plancius was the ship’s visit to South Georgia Island, home to millions of penguins in the South Atlantic Ocean.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

The following night, our host decided to take us to a part of the Atlantic Ocean that was nearby.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah