adjective
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on or from the other side of the Atlantic
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crossing the Atlantic
Other Word Forms
- transatlantically adverb
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.
"They turned it from a transatlantic passenger ship into a high-speed rescue vessel under emergency conditions," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
“We are proud to join this team with a view to establish Europe’s first rare earth oxide and metal-making platform, which will accelerate the realization of a secure, sustainable transatlantic rare earth value chain.”
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
To add to the complexity, I am terrified of flying, so we would likely need to book a transatlantic cruise to and from Europe.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday designated the transatlantic African slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity," despite opposition by the United States and some European countries.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
The largest liners actually had their own shipboard brewery, which they put into operation during those times when, instead of engaging in a transatlantic voyage, they were engaged in a four-day “cruise to nowhere.”
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
