oceanography

1 of 2

noun (1)

ocean·​og·​ra·​phy ˌō-shə-ˈnä-grə-fē How to pronounce oceanography (audio)
: a science that deals with the oceans and includes the delimitation of their extent and depth, the physics and chemistry of their waters, marine biology, and the exploitation of their resources
oceanographer
ˌō-shə-ˈnä-grə-fər How to pronounce oceanography (audio)
noun
oceanographic
ˌō-shə-nə-ˈgra-fik How to pronounce oceanography (audio)
adjective
or less commonly oceanographical
ˌō-shə-nə-ˈgra-fi-kəl How to pronounce oceanography (audio)
oceanographically
ˌō-shə-nə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce oceanography (audio)
adverb

oceanographer

2 of 2

noun (2)

ocean·​og·​ra·​pher ˌōshəˈnägrəfə(r) How to pronounce oceanographer (audio)
plural -s
: a specialist in oceanography

Examples of oceanography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Program covers oceanography, surf skills, ecology and fitness/competition in addition to water safety training and skills. — Jessie Dax-Setkus, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026 Jón Ólafsson is professor emeritus in oceanography at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík. — Alexandra Talty, Wired News, 11 Dec. 2025 Advances in fields such as oceanography, meteorology, and geology allowed scientists to explore areas that had previously seemed mysterious or inaccessible. — Literary Hub, 27 Mar. 2026 In the 1870s, the HMS Challenger expedition—which is largely credited with inventing modern oceanography—took measurements at deeper depths. — Molly Taft, ArsTechnica, 11 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oceanography

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from German Ozeanographie, Oceanographie from Ozean, Ocean ocean + -o- -o- + -graphie -graphy (after Geographie geography, Aërographie "meteorology")

Note: The German word was apparently introduced by the German seaman and academic Eduard Bobrik (1802-70) in Handbuch der praktischen Seefahrtskunde, Band 1 (Zürich/Hamburg, 1846), p. 79 ff.

Noun (2)

oceanography + -er

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oceanography was in 1859

Rhymes for oceanography

See All Rhymes for oceanography

Browse Nearby Words

oceanographic
oceanography
oceanologist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oceanography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oceanography. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on oceanography

Nglish: Translation of oceanography for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oceanography

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All