Pacific Ocean

American  

[puh-sif-ik oh-shuhn] / pəˈsɪf ɪk ˈoʊ ʃən /

Often the Pacific

noun

1. the largest of the world’s five principal oceans, bordered by the American continents, Asia, and Australia, with its deepest section in the Mariana Trench: divided by the equator into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean. 62,455,900 square miles (161,760,000 square kilometers).

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Pacific Ocean British  

noun

1. the world's largest and deepest ocean, lying between Asia and Australia and North and South America: almost landlocked in the north, linked with the Arctic Ocean only by the Bering Strait, and extending to Antarctica in the south; has exceptionally deep trenches, and a large number of volcanic and coral islands. Area: about 165 760 000 sq km (64 000 000 sq miles). Average depth: 4215 m (14 050 ft). Greatest depth: Challenger Deep (in the Marianas Trench), 11 033 m (37 073 ft). Greatest width: (between Panama and Mindanao, Philippines) 17 066 km (10 600 miles)

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Pacific Ocean Cultural  

1. The largest ocean in the world, separating Asia and Australia on the west from North America and South America on the east.

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Etymology

Origin of Pacific Ocean

First recorded in 1560–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Pacific Ocean

After a more than 27-hour return journey, the Dragon capsule carrying Crew-12 landed safely in the Pacific Ocean, according to space agency NASA's live broadcast.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

The heat released from the warm Pacific Ocean into the atmosphere impacts weather patterns around the globe.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

From August through October, meltwater and rainfall add mass to the oceans, pushing Earth's center of mass toward the South Pacific Ocean.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

Boasting breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, this gem is located on a triangular 0.4-acre oceanfront lot.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The whole Pacific Ocean was meant to be theirs alone.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac