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• oceanic
  oceanic

  adjective

  of, living in, or produced by the ocean.
• Oceanic
  Oceanic

  noun

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

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; see origin at ocean, -ic

Explanation

Things that have something to do with the ocean are oceanic. Oceanic water comes from the sea, and oceanic study focuses on creatures that live in the ocean and other ocean-related topics. An oceanic vessel is a fancy way of referring to a ship that sails on the sea, and oceanic tides are the constantly rising and falling levels of ocean water. You can also use this adjective to mean, "as enormous as the ocean," like an oceanic success or an oceanic pile of work to do before the end of the day. Oceanic comes from the Greek okeanos, which in ancient Greece referred to an imagined "endless river surrounding the land."

Example Sentences

Leising said he expects the current marine heat wave, which would typically start fading sometime between October and December, to instead be prolonged by the arrival of warmer oceanic waters from El Niño.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

"Glass eels are mesmerising, almost translucent - an adaptation to oceanic migration."

From BBC • May 7, 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

It developed a state-of-the-art oceanic passageway that helped transform global shipping as supertankers and containerships grew bigger and bigger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

There were sharks every day, mainly makos and blue sharks, but also oceanic whitetips, and once a tiger shark straight from the blackest of nightmares.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel