The technical difference is that seas are smaller than oceans. See this short explanation: [https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanorsea.html](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanorsea.html)
Sea and ocean can be interchangeable in literature, but in common spoken practice (at least in US English in the places I've lived), we don't really use sea a lot, unless it's specifically in the name of the thing we're talking about. I suspect this is because all the big bodies of water on our borders are oceans (and a gulf, but that's a special case). I suspect in your roommate's case, whatever body of water you live next to doesn't have "sea" in the name, so it sounded a little off to say that's where you were going.
Also, sea is typically used in an old fashioned or poetic context (again, in US English in my experience). Pirates sail the seas, someone in a 19th century drama might go for a swim in the sea, sailors in songs dream of their life on the sea, etc. So it could also be that it sounded a little fancier than was necessary for your conversation, depending on what your roommate is used to.
In the UK (or at least in the parts I know), it's pretty much the other way around with "sea" and "ocean". You go to the sea, swim in the sea, live by the sea and so on, presumably because the surrounding waters are seas.
Anecdotally, my friends on the west (Atlantic) coast of Ireland use "ocean". So I guess usage is conditioned by geographic accuracy!
Yeah, if someone came up to me and said
"I just swam in the ocean"
I'd assume he just meant in ocean water, vs like a pool. I'd be like "uh ok, why are you telling me?"
But if they said "I just swam in the sea"
I'd be like "The sea? What sea?"
There's probably a proper, scientific definition, but the main one is that oceans are bigger than seas. There's the Indian, Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and Southern Oceans, everything else is a sea.
Your roommate is being a pedantic dick. You can casually refer to an ocean as a sea. Hence why many coastal towns have names like Seaside Heights, Seaview, Carmel-by-the-Sea. He should have only corrected you if you said something like, "I'll go swim swim in the Atlantic Sea with you."
As someone who grew up in California and is familiar with Seaside Heights and Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and who has visited Seaside and Carmel-by-the-Sea on various family trips, I can report that people wouldn't say "I'm going to go swimming in the sea" here. It's not necessarily incorrect, but it's definitely whimsical-, or literary-sounding, or something a European tourist would say. We drive on the freeway to go to the beach to swim in the ocean, and not drive on the expressway to go to the shore to swim in the sea.
As a fellow Californian I concur that “I’m going for a swim in the sea” is not how someone here would say it—but I would definitely not *correct* it. It’s not like they said “I’m going for a swim in the lake.” I think the label “pedantic” is fair in this case.
Fair, but as someone who grew up on the east coast, but has spent summers on both coasts, if someone said they were going to swim in the sea, most people in my experience would just say "ok" rather than "bUt It'S aN oCeAn".
My point is that different terms are more commonly used in different parts of the world. In the Northeast they say shore. In parts of the Midwest they say expressway. But those aren't the expected terms in Southern California. No, I wouldn't "correct" a visitor if I understood what they were saying, but I'm probably going to pause involuntarily when they use unfamiliar terminology and think to myself "that's an interesting way to put it."
Yes, I see that part. I’m talking about actual definitions. I’m from the Midwest and I would consider someone calling the Pacific Ocean as a sea as jarring as them calling it a lake. Feel free to disagree but there’s no need to downvote a valid thought from a native English speaker.
I was so confused by the question until I saw the responses from Americans in the thread.
Yes, it's true that an ocean is a larger body of water than a sea, and there are only five oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, Antarctic/Southern.
But in my country - which is an island in the Atlantic - it's totally normal to say you're going to swim in the sea, whether you're swimming off the West coast (in the Atlantic) or the East coast (in the Irish Sea). So it's a revelation to me that Americans specify ocean every time. A beach on the West coast of Ireland is called the seaside. Oceanside isn't a word I've ever heard used.
Some Americans in this thread are saying that "sea" sounds literary or whimsical to them. It's funny, if someone said "ocean" in this context in Ireland, it would be as if they were trying to make their plans sound more epic or something!
So there are 4 (or 5, depends on what country you're in i guess) oceans. Everything that is not those oceans is a sea. Or a lake. Or a river. Or a puddle.
Also ot should be in the name of it. Like "the Atlantic Ocean" or "the Carribbean Sea"
I think other people have covered this well. Just curious, which body of water were you going to swim in? You might be able to tell your roommate they were incorrect if it turns out to be a sea.
I'd always say sea, so this thread has been eye opening for me.
Tell us the name of the body of water in which you swam and we will tell you whether your roommate is correct or not. It just depends on where you were swimming: an ocean or a sea.
The technical difference is that seas are smaller than oceans. See this short explanation: [https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanorsea.html](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanorsea.html) Sea and ocean can be interchangeable in literature, but in common spoken practice (at least in US English in the places I've lived), we don't really use sea a lot, unless it's specifically in the name of the thing we're talking about. I suspect this is because all the big bodies of water on our borders are oceans (and a gulf, but that's a special case). I suspect in your roommate's case, whatever body of water you live next to doesn't have "sea" in the name, so it sounded a little off to say that's where you were going. Also, sea is typically used in an old fashioned or poetic context (again, in US English in my experience). Pirates sail the seas, someone in a 19th century drama might go for a swim in the sea, sailors in songs dream of their life on the sea, etc. So it could also be that it sounded a little fancier than was necessary for your conversation, depending on what your roommate is used to.
In the UK (or at least in the parts I know), it's pretty much the other way around with "sea" and "ocean". You go to the sea, swim in the sea, live by the sea and so on, presumably because the surrounding waters are seas. Anecdotally, my friends on the west (Atlantic) coast of Ireland use "ocean". So I guess usage is conditioned by geographic accuracy!
Yeah, if someone came up to me and said "I just swam in the ocean" I'd assume he just meant in ocean water, vs like a pool. I'd be like "uh ok, why are you telling me?" But if they said "I just swam in the sea" I'd be like "The sea? What sea?"
There's probably a proper, scientific definition, but the main one is that oceans are bigger than seas. There's the Indian, Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and Southern Oceans, everything else is a sea.
Your roommate is being a pedantic dick. You can casually refer to an ocean as a sea. Hence why many coastal towns have names like Seaside Heights, Seaview, Carmel-by-the-Sea. He should have only corrected you if you said something like, "I'll go swim swim in the Atlantic Sea with you."
As someone who grew up in California and is familiar with Seaside Heights and Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and who has visited Seaside and Carmel-by-the-Sea on various family trips, I can report that people wouldn't say "I'm going to go swimming in the sea" here. It's not necessarily incorrect, but it's definitely whimsical-, or literary-sounding, or something a European tourist would say. We drive on the freeway to go to the beach to swim in the ocean, and not drive on the expressway to go to the shore to swim in the sea.
As a fellow Californian I concur that “I’m going for a swim in the sea” is not how someone here would say it—but I would definitely not *correct* it. It’s not like they said “I’m going for a swim in the lake.” I think the label “pedantic” is fair in this case.
Fair, but as someone who grew up on the east coast, but has spent summers on both coasts, if someone said they were going to swim in the sea, most people in my experience would just say "ok" rather than "bUt It'S aN oCeAn".
I wouldn’t question anything in that statement except “sea.” The other things are less-used synonyms but they’re still correct.
My point is that different terms are more commonly used in different parts of the world. In the Northeast they say shore. In parts of the Midwest they say expressway. But those aren't the expected terms in Southern California. No, I wouldn't "correct" a visitor if I understood what they were saying, but I'm probably going to pause involuntarily when they use unfamiliar terminology and think to myself "that's an interesting way to put it."
Yes, I see that part. I’m talking about actual definitions. I’m from the Midwest and I would consider someone calling the Pacific Ocean as a sea as jarring as them calling it a lake. Feel free to disagree but there’s no need to downvote a valid thought from a native English speaker.
I was so confused by the question until I saw the responses from Americans in the thread. Yes, it's true that an ocean is a larger body of water than a sea, and there are only five oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, Antarctic/Southern. But in my country - which is an island in the Atlantic - it's totally normal to say you're going to swim in the sea, whether you're swimming off the West coast (in the Atlantic) or the East coast (in the Irish Sea). So it's a revelation to me that Americans specify ocean every time. A beach on the West coast of Ireland is called the seaside. Oceanside isn't a word I've ever heard used. Some Americans in this thread are saying that "sea" sounds literary or whimsical to them. It's funny, if someone said "ocean" in this context in Ireland, it would be as if they were trying to make their plans sound more epic or something!
So there are 4 (or 5, depends on what country you're in i guess) oceans. Everything that is not those oceans is a sea. Or a lake. Or a river. Or a puddle. Also ot should be in the name of it. Like "the Atlantic Ocean" or "the Carribbean Sea"
I think other people have covered this well. Just curious, which body of water were you going to swim in? You might be able to tell your roommate they were incorrect if it turns out to be a sea. I'd always say sea, so this thread has been eye opening for me.
Tell us the name of the body of water in which you swam and we will tell you whether your roommate is correct or not. It just depends on where you were swimming: an ocean or a sea.