Indian Ocean

American  

[in-dee-uhn oh-shuhn] / ˈɪn di ən ˈoʊ ʃən /

noun

1. an ocean south of Asia, east of Africa, and west of Australia, with its deepest section in the Java Trench. 27,243,268 square miles (70,560,000 square kilometers).

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Indian Ocean British  

noun

1. an ocean bordered by Africa in the west, Asia in the north, and Australia in the east and merging with the Antarctic Ocean in the south. Average depth: 3900 m (13 000 ft). Greatest depth (off the Sunda Islands): 7450 m (24 442 ft). In December 2004 a major undersea earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami which affected large areas of the ocean as far away as east Africa, and killed an estimated 226 435 people. Area: about 73 556 000 sq km (28 400 000 sq miles)

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Indian Ocean Cultural  

1. Third-largest ocean (after the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean), extending from southern Asia to Antarctica and from eastern Africa to southeastern Australia.

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Etymology

Origin of Indian Ocean

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius was chosen as the agency's home, partly due to its established financial services industry.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Iran has targeted other British bases abroad during the war, including Akrotiri in Cyprus and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

It is being built on the Indian Ocean coast at Lamu, also the site of a deepwater port, with a target of 30 months for completion.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

China too has a major base here, its largest military presence on the Indian Ocean and recently upgraded.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

“The Atlantic Ocean is brown, sort of, and the Indian Ocean is blue.”

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson