titanic

¹ American  

[tahy-tan-ik, ti-] / taɪˈtæn ɪk, tɪ- /

adjective

Chemistry.

1. of or containing titanium, especially in the tetravalent state.

---

titanic ² American  

[tahy-tan-ik] / taɪˈtæn ɪk /

adjective

1. (initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Titans.

2. Also titan. of enormous size, strength, power, etc.; gigantic.

---

Titanic ³ American  

[tahy-tan-ik] / taɪˈtæn ɪk /

noun

1. RMS Titanic, a British luxury liner that sank after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage in April 1912, with a loss of more than 1,500 lives.

---

Titanic ¹ British  

/ taɪˈtænɪk /

noun

1. a luxury British liner that struck an iceberg near Newfoundland on its maiden voyage on the night of April 14–15, 1912, with the loss of 1513 lives

---

titanic ² British  

/ taɪˈtænɪk /

adjective

1. possessing or requiring colossal strength

   a titanic battle

---

titanic ³ British  

/ taɪˈtænɪk /

adjective

1. of or containing titanium, esp in the tetravalent state

---

Titanic Cultural  

1. A British luxury ocean liner, thought to be unsinkable, which nevertheless sank on its first voyage in 1912 after running into an iceberg in the north Atlantic Ocean. More than fifteen hundred people drowned.

---

Other Word Forms

• titanically adverb

Etymology

Origin of titanic¹

First recorded in 1820–30; titan(ium) + -ic

Origin of titanic²

From the Greek word Tītānikós, dating back to 1650–60. See Titan, -ic

Explanation

If two rival football teams played a close game that went into overtime, it could be said that winning it was a titanic struggle. This means it took a large amount of force and power to do so. The root word titan is derived from Greek mythology. The Titans were a race of powerful deities. The adjective titanic can now refer to anything extremely large or strong. The Titanic was the name of the famous cruise ship that sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. This name was chosen not only because it was the largest passenger steamship of its time, but also because it was touted as a strong ship, specifically that it was “unsinkable.”

Example Sentences

South Carolina in the Final Four was always going to be a titanic clash of the most towering figures in women’s college basketball.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

They are seen as a market-listed proxy for both OpenAI and the titanic amounts of capital being committed to the artificial intelligence investment boom.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

On Thursday morning, Disney made two significant moves that indicate how the titanic entertainment brand will handle the artificial intelligence future—and they’re a bit confused, contradictory, and highly concerning.

From Slate • Dec. 12, 2025

The stage is set for the latest titanic battle.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

“The great...no, the enormous...no, the titanic pleasure of your presence is requested at my tea party, to be held Tuesday next.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood