adjective
-
on or from the other side of the Atlantic
-
crossing the Atlantic
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transatlantic
Explanation
If you fly from New York to Paris, you can describe the flight as transatlantic, since you'll be crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Anything that crosses the Atlantic Ocean can be called transatlantic, though the word usually refers to a commercial airplane flight. Cruise ships have transatlantic crossings, and shipping companies sometimes deliver goods via transatlantic routes. The word transatlantic simply adds the Latin prefix trans, "through or across," to the word atlantic.
Vocabulary lists containing transatlantic
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.
Ghana was a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade when millions of people were captured and loaded on to ships, never to return home.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Noltemy says with a laugh that an additional project on Harding’s plate is to take the training for piloting the latest Air France transatlantic jets that fly between Paris and L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
“A deal is a deal, and the EU honors its commitments,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X. “Together, we can ensure stable, predictable, balanced, and mutually beneficial transatlantic trade.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who also met Rubio on Friday, stressed the importance of the transatlantic alliance.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
In the preceding weeks, Brooklyn had traveled by transatlantic jet, high-speed train, and unmarked spy plane.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
