Atlantic

American  

[at-lan-tik] / ætˈlæn tɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Atlantic Ocean.

2. of, relating to, or situated on the eastern seaboard of the United States.

   the Atlantic states.

3. of or relating to the countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, especially those of North America and Europe.

4. of or relating to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or its members.

   the Atlantic Alliance.

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noun

1. the Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean.

2. Railroads. a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, four driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.

Atlantic British  

/ ətˈlæntɪk /

noun

1. short for Atlantic Ocean

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adjective

1. of or relating to or bordering the Atlantic Ocean

2. of or relating to Atlas or the Atlas Mountains

Other Word Forms

• sub-Atlantic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Atlantic

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin Atlanticum (mare), “the Atlantic (ocean),” neuter of Atlanticus, from Greek Atlantikós “of (Mount) Atlas,” equivalent to Atlant- (stem of Átlās ) + -ikos adjective suffix; see Atlas ( def. 1 ), -ic

Example Sentences

And although good wine was hard to find this side of the Atlantic back in Thomas Jefferson’s day, N.C.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026

This view came from England “and crossed the Atlantic with the colonists — and was adopted with little fanfare after the Revolution,” he wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

Bolstering the defence industries on both sides of the Atlantic will be a major focus of the upcoming gathering.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

And now, he hopes to extend the Americans’ brutal run against teams from across the Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

At the beginning of 1917, the German navy had about a hundred submarines available for action in the North Sea, the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman