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

“We are absolutely stoked to be reopened and welcoming everyone onto the terrace” overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Nepenthe hostess Faith Sassepp said on a phone call as a helicopter roared in the background.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

The El Niño event that is developing over the Pacific Ocean is likely to be the strongest in living memory, the Met Office has warned.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

The storm comes as a powerful El Nino has formed in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

It also assessed that “there were no incidents in which civilian casualties more likely than not resulted from U.S. military operations” in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, where U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

That he would like to see the Pacific Ocean.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson