sea level
Americannoun
noun
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The level of the ocean's surface. Sea level at a particular location changes regularly with the tides and irregularly due to conditions such as wind and currents. Other factors that contribute to such fluctuation include water temperature and salinity, air pressure, seasonal changes, the amount of stream runoff, and the amount of water that is stored as ice or snow.
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◆ The reference point used as a standard for determining terrestrial and atmospheric elevation or ocean depths is called the mean sea level and is calculated as the average of hourly tide levels measured by mechanical tide gauges over extended periods of time.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sea level
First recorded in 1800–10
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.
His team tested the Freefly drone after it arrived in Nepal and found it could lift 33 pounds at sea level.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
He lives in Albuquerque, N.M., about a mile above sea level, and he and his wife converted their bedroom into an altitude chamber to add about 3,000 more feet of elevation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I am excited to get to work supporting the city’s long-term fiscal sustainability, preparing for sea level rise, and building a strong organization that delivers exceptional service.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
However, he also recorded the time more than 5,000 feet above sea level in Albuquerque, and would not have the limiting effects of altitude to contend with on home soil.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
So by the 1800s, when Europeans began to explore the islands, they saw lush green cane stalks already growing thickly from sea level up into the hills.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
