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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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to or bordering the Atlantic Ocean

  2. of or relating to Atlas or the Atlas Mountains

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Down the Atlantic coast, around the town of Biscarosse in France's Landes region, another "major" fire that began on Thursday afternoon has prompted the evacuations of more than 23,000 people.

From BBC Jul. 24, 2026

The Atlantic has said the suit is meritless.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 24, 2026

They save money and then go to Atlantic City and blow it on the slots.

From MarketWatch Jul. 23, 2026

Washed up on a rock in the Atlantic after a naval disaster, Christopher Martin clings to life with ferocious tenacity.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 22, 2026

As Elizebeth later explained, the Atlantic coast alone, “with its coves and inlets, its chopped waterline, with its many secluded spots where boats might secretly dock and unload, created a problem which defied description.”

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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