oceangoing

American  

[oh-shuhn-goh-ing] / ˈoʊ ʃənˌgoʊ ɪŋ /

Or ocean-going

adjective

1. (of a ship) designed and equipped to travel on the open sea.

2. noting or pertaining to sea transportation.

   oceangoing traffic.

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Etymology

Origin of oceangoing

First recorded in 1880–85; ocean + going

Example Sentences

The war has strangled shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a U-bend-like chokepoint off the Iranian coast that acts as a highway for more than a third of the world’s oceangoing oil exports each year.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

SINGAPORE—China has put its largest and most sophisticated aircraft carrier into active service, boosting Beijing’s quest to create a formidable oceangoing navy that can challenge U.S. power in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

The Tradepoint Atlantic terminal, which is used by Volkswagen, is at the mouth of the harbor, east of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and still accessible to oceangoing vessels.

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2024

Runs of salmon and oceangoing trout in Whatcom Creek and its tributaries have largely declined since the incident, though it’s hard to tease out a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 26, 2023

The report discussed three possible military applications for fissionable uranium: dropping radioactive materials over enemy territory; generating power for submarines and other oceangoing vessels; and development of a bomb based on U-235.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• aquatic
• deep-sea
• marine
• naval
• seafaring
• seagoing