pelagic

adjective

pe·​lag·​ic pə-ˈla-jik 

: of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea : oceanic

pelagic sediment

pelagic birds

pelagic noun

Did you know?

Pelagic comes to us from Greek, via Latin. The Greek word pelagikos became pelagicus in Latin and then pelagic in English. (Pelagikos is derived from pelagos, the Greek word for the sea—it is also a source of archipelago—plus the adjectival suffix -ikos.) Pelagic first showed up in dictionaries in 1656; a definition from that time says that Pelagick (as it was then spelled) meant "of the Sea, or that liveth in the Sea." Centuries later, writers are still using pelagic with the same meaning, albeit less frequently than its more familiar synonym oceanic.

Synonyms

• marine
• maritime
• oceanic

Examples of pelagic in a Sentence

among pelagic animals the undisputed king is the blue whale, the largest creature currently roaming the face of the earth

at one time pelagic whaling was the cornerstone of the island's economy

Recent Examples on the Web

The state’s shores offer temperate-weather hiking with views of dramatic cliffs, crashing waves, pelagic birds such as the blue-footed booby and several species of sandpiper, and native wildflowers. —Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024

The northern equatorial upwelling front, which brings cold-nutrient rich waters to the surface, combined with the tropical sun is the perfect recipe for ocean productivity that sustains ocean pelagic food webs. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024

Instead, target these abundant and hungry pelagic fish by trolling in areas with clear water, and focus on floating structure like sargassum and kelp paddies, oil rigs, and even floating ocean debris. —Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 19 Sep. 2024

The large fish, which can grow to seven feet long, eat a variety of species, including small pelagic fish, juvenile tuna and invertebrates. —Samuel Sanders, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin pelagicus, from Greek pelagikos, from pelagos sea — more at plagal

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

pelagic

adjective

pe·​lag·​ic pə-ˈlaj-ik 

: of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea : oceanic

pelagic fish