# planktonic

> English word · Adjective · IPA /plaŋkˈtɒnɪk/ · frequency rank #72,653

## Definitions
1. Of or pertaining to plankton.
2. Floating in the open sea rather than living on the seafloor.

## Etymology
From plankton + -ic, after German planktonisch. From Ancient Greek πλαγκτόν (planktón, “drifting”), neuter nominative of πλαγκτός (planktós), from πλάζομαι (plázomai, “to wander, drift”), from πλάζω (plázō, “to cause to wander, drive astray”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/planktonic