oceanic

American  

[oh-shee-an-ik] / ˌoʊ ʃiˈæn ɪk /

adjective

1. of, living in, or produced by the ocean.

   oceanic currents.

2. Oceanography. of or relating to the region of water lying above the bathyal, abyssal, and hadal zones of the sea bottom.

3. immensely large; vast.

   an oceanic expanse of stars.

4. (initial capital letter) of or relating to Oceania, its peoples, or their languages.

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Oceanic ¹ British  

/ ˌəʊʃɪˈænɪk /

noun

1. a branch, group, or subfamily of the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages, comprising Polynesian and Melanesian

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to this group of languages

2. of or relating to Oceania

oceanic ² British  

/ ˌəʊʃɪˈænɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the ocean

2. living in the depths of the ocean beyond the continental shelf at a depth exceeding 200 metres

   oceanic fauna

3. huge or overwhelming

4. (of geological formations) of volcanic origin, arising from the ocean

   oceanic islands

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oceanic Scientific  

/ ō′shē-ăn′ĭk /

1. Relating to the ocean.

2. Relating to the ocean waters that lie beyond the continental shelf and exceed 200 m (656 ft) in depth.

3. Compare neritic See more at epipelagic zone

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Other Word Forms

• preoceanic adjective
• unoceanic adjective

Etymology

Origin of oceanic

First recorded in 1650–60; from Medieval Latin ōceanicus, equivalent to Latin ōcean(us) + -icus adjective suffix; ocean, -ic

Example Sentences

The vast, oceanic, planetary gobs of money to build out AI, which investors were supposed to provide without immediate return, will have to come from somebody else—actual customers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Their vibrant, jam-packed settings depict anything from an oceanic rave to a rainbow-hued big top performance to a joyride through the cosmos.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Mr. Nézet-Séguin found the score’s oceanic qualities without wallowing in them, holding to its throughline even in the most fervid passages, and making the mood changes between the acts and within them clear.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

"Normally, an increased supply of iron in the Southern Ocean would stimulate algae growth, which increases the oceanic uptake of carbon dioxide," says lead author Torben Struve of the University of Oldenburg.

From Science Daily • Feb. 4, 2026

“I’d love to eat with a couple of bull sharks. Or maybe they’re more like oceanic whitetip sharks. Haven’t decided yet.”

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt