sea change
Americannoun
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a striking change, as in appearance, often for the better.
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any major transformation or alteration.
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a transformation brought about by the sea.
noun
Etymology
Origin of sea change
First recorded in 1600–10
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.
“This is a sea change and people should wake up and realize we’re living in a new world.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
“This is definitely a sea change from previous transitions,” said Derek Tang, co-founder of LH Meyer/Monetary Policy Analytics, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
There are these sea change moments for young bands that don’t know how to respond or calibrate to them.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
That is a sea change, and it’s something I haven’t totally wrapped my mind around yet.
From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026
The new musical style was already well under way by the time Mozart was a young composer, and he grew up in a Europe experiencing a sea change in cultural attitudes.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
