adjective
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on or from the other side of the Atlantic
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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.
"I think that the transatlantic slave trade was the greatest crime against humanity, and ancestors also took part as players in that trade," says the king.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
In the coming weeks, I’m going to share exactly how those played out — including the raw numbers spent on transatlantic flights, movers and real-estate broker fees.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
The insect’s first trips west came soon after, as the transatlantic slave trade brought ships packed with enslaved Africans to the New World.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
As such, transatlantic counterterrorism cooperation could be in for turbulent times.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
He spends what little money he has from working in the dining hall on transatlantic phone calls to Ruth twice a week.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
