Idiom
Sea change
A sea change is a deep and complete change in something, such as a person's attitude, a situation or a whole field.
How people use it
People use sea change for big, lasting shifts, not small adjustments: a sea change in how people shop, or a sea change in public opinion. It sounds a little formal and is common in news writing, business and essays. It is usually a noun with a or an adjective in front (a real sea change). Most American writers spell it as two words; the hyphenated sea-change is older and still seen. Do not use it for a change at sea or for changing your mind about lunch; it is too grand for that.
Also said: sea-change.
Examples
- Remote work brought a sea change in how our office handles meetings.
- There has been a sea change in Grace's attitude since she joined the running club.
- The new coach created a sea change in the team's defense, and they started winning.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from Shakespeare's play The Tempest. In a song, the spirit Ariel tells a young man that his father, lying beneath the sea, has suffered a sea-change into something rich and strange: his bones have become coral and his eyes pearls. There it meant a change made by the sea. Over time, especially in the 1900s, people began using it for any deep transformation.
Check yourself
1. A report says there has been a sea change in how families buy groceries. What does that mean?
Answer: Shopping habits have changed deeply. A sea change is a big, complete shift, not a small change or anything about the ocean.
2. Where does the phrase sea change first appear?
Answer: Shakespeare's The Tempest. Ariel's song in The Tempest describes a sea-change, a transformation made by the sea.
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