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Synonyms

oceangoing

American  
[oh-shuhn-goh-ing] / ˈoʊ ʃənˌgoʊ ɪŋ /
Or ocean-going

adjective

  1. (of a ship) designed and equipped to travel on the open sea.

  2. noting or pertaining to sea transportation.

    oceangoing traffic.


Etymology

Origin of oceangoing

First recorded in 1880–85; ocean + going

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.

About 90% of all trade is handled on an oceangoing basis.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Beijing’s next-generation submarines will be designed as oceangoing vessels that can maintain a “persistent presence” beyond China’s peripheral waters, Brookes said in his statement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

“We do not know if the ship was oceangoing, meaning that it crossed over the North Sea to England,” Dr. Grønnesby said.

From New York Times • May 31, 2024

She later remarried the captain of an oceangoing ship and immigrated to the United States in 1961.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2024

The most isolated people on Earth in recent history were the Aboriginal Tasmanians, living without oceangoing watercraft on an island 100 miles from Australia, itself the most isolated continent.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond