Transatlantic means crossing or spanning the Atlantic Ocean, which separates Europe and Africa from the Americas. A transatlantic flight carries passengers from New York to London, or from Brazil to Portugal. A transatlantic cable lies on the ocean floor, carrying internet data and phone calls between continents.

For centuries, transatlantic voyages took weeks or months by sailing ship. Christopher Columbus's transatlantic journey in 1492 took over two months. Later, steamships reduced the crossing to about a week. Today, a transatlantic flight takes only six to eight hours, yet you still cross an entire ocean and leap through multiple time zones.

The word also describes relationships between countries on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Transatlantic cooperation might describe partnerships between American and European governments or businesses working together across the ocean.