What does ocean mean?
An ocean is a vast body of salt water, conventionally one of the five major connected ocean basins: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern. The word commonly appears in contexts involving marine life, currents, exploration, depth, pollution, and international navigation. It can also describe something so extensive that it seems boundless, as in “an ocean of data” or “an ocean of possibilities,” although this figurative use is most natural when referring to a great quantity rather than to an abstract quality. In contrast to “sea,” which may denote a smaller, partly enclosed area of water, “ocean” usually emphasizes the largest scale of marine geography. The term also carries a powerful cultural and literary resonance, evoking mystery, danger, discovery, immensity, and the human desire to explore what lies beyond the visible shore.
nounA very large expanse of seawater covering much of the Earth, forming interconnected bodies of water conventionally identified as the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern oceans. The word can also refer figuratively to a vast, boundless quantity or expanse of something.
- A vast body of salt water that covers much of the Earth and separates continents.
- A figurative expanse or unlimited quantity of something.
"The deep ocean remains one of the least explored parts of the planet."
"Warm surface currents move through the ocean and influence the climate of nearby land."
"The company entered a market that was, for the new entrant, an ocean of established competitors."
The regular plural is “oceans.” In general references to the world's major bodies of water, “the oceans” is usually plural.
"The oceans contain some of the planet's most remarkable and fragile ecosystems."
The word “ocean” comes from Greek mythology, where Oceanus was a personified river encircling the ancient world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ocean come from?
The English word “ocean” comes through Middle English from Old French occean, which was borrowed from Latin oceanus. Latin had taken the term from Greek ōkeanos, the name of a mythic river or personified body of water surrounding the ancient world, and also the source of related scientific and adjectival forms such as “oceanography” and “oceanic.”
Related word forms
How ocean is actually used
In modern English, “ocean” usually refers to one of the major connected ocean basins, whereas “sea” more often denotes a smaller or partly enclosed body of water. The figurative sense is common in formal and literary writing.
Easily confused with ocean
A sea is a smaller area of saltwater, while an ocean is one of the Earth's major interconnected ocean basins.