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.
That marks a sea change from five years ago, when $92.5 billion of World Bank financing was paired with $24.4 billion of private capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Analysts on Thursday said Bessent “doubled down” on the notion of a sea change in Treasury debt management when he described his plan as “Treasury twist.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
As for Major, he wonders how another political sea change could affect his business.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Leavitt's tenure as press secretary saw a revival of regular briefings that had petered out during the first term, but she presided over sea change on White House interactions with journalists.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The Great Depression effectuated a sea change in American race relations and party alignment.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
