pə̇ˈlajik, -jēk adjective
Etymology: Latin pelagicus, from Greek pelagikos, from pelagos sea + -ikos -ic
1. : of, relating to, or living in the open sea : oceanic
2. : of, relating to, or constituting a biogeographic realm consisting of the open sea and especially those portions beyond the outer border of the littoral zone which are above the abyssal zone and to which light penetrates — compare bathypelagic , neritic