Oceanfront describes property or land that sits directly on the edge of the ocean, with nothing between it and the water. An oceanfront hotel means you can walk straight from the building onto the beach. An oceanfront house has windows looking out at waves and sand, with the ocean right at its doorstep.

This is different from being near the ocean: a house three blocks from the beach isn't oceanfront, even if you can smell the salt air. True oceanfront property touches the shoreline.

Oceanfront real estate costs more than similar properties inland because of the direct beach access and ocean views. People pay premium prices to wake up to the sound of crashing waves and walk straight from their door to the sand. Resorts advertise oceanfront rooms as their most desirable accommodations.

You might also hear oceanfront used as a noun, meaning an oceanfront area or property, as in “We walked along the oceanfront.”

You might also hear beachfront, which means essentially the same thing but emphasizes the beach rather than the ocean itself. Both terms capture that special quality of having the water right there, without streets, buildings, or anything else in between.