atlantic

atlantic — adjective

1. connected with the Atlantic Ocean, or with the countries, coasts, and waters aro

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

connected with the Atlantic Ocean, or with the countries, coasts, and waters around it.

Example

Lisbon enjoys mild Atlantic breezes throughout the summer months.

Atlantic + noun (breezes/winds/coast)

Diego grew up in a small fishing town on the Atlantic coast.

fixed phrase: the Atlantic coast

Common collocations
  • Atlantic coast
  • Atlantic waters
  • Atlantic storms
  • Atlantic breezes
  • Atlantic nations
Synonyms
  • transatlantic

    crossing the Atlantic, e.g. flights or relations between Europe and North America

Antonyms
  • Pacific

    relating to the ocean on the other side of the Americas

Grammar Patterns

Atlantic + noun

Usage Note

Almost always written with a capital A and placed before a noun. Often used with geographical or political nouns: coast, shore, waters, nations, alliance.

Common Mistakes

The water was very atlantic today.
The Atlantic waters were rough today.
'Atlantic' describes places or things linked to the ocean; it is not used to describe the water itself as a quality.

atlantic — noun

Word family

  • transatlantic
    adjectiveB2
  • Atlas
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words connect to the sea, but each has a clear focus. 'Atlantic' points to one specific ocean and the lands beside it; you say 'the Atlantic coast' or 'Atlantic weather' when location matters. 'Transatlantic' describes movement or links between the two sides of that ocean — a transatlantic flight goes from London to New York, and transatlantic talks join European and American leaders. 'Oceanic' is broader and more scientific; it refers to any ocean or to deep-sea conditions in general, as in 'oceanic currents' or 'oceanic species'. So a fisherman in Galway works in Atlantic waters, his cousin who flies to Boston takes a transatlantic route, and a marine biologist studies oceanic ecosystems worldwide.

Atlantic ↗transatlanticoceanic

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Atlantic coast
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Atlantic storm
  • Atlantic crossing

Phrases

  • the North Atlantic
  • the South Atlantic
  • Atlantic alliance

Prepositions

  • across the Atlantic
  • on the Atlantic
  • from the Atlantic

Etymology

Ancient GreekLatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The name comes from Ancient Greek 'Atlantikos', meaning 'of Atlas', linked to Mount Atlas in north-west Africa. Early Greek geographers used 'the Atlantic sea' for the waters beyond the Strait of Gibraltar. The term passed through Latin and Old French before settling into English in the late 14th century, first as a poetic name and later as the standard label for the ocean separating Europe and Africa from the Americas.