blue ocean

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

an uncontested market space with no direct competitors

Why this phrase?

From W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne's Blue Ocean Strategy (2005): calm, competitor-free waters.

Example

“They found a blue ocean: vocabulary apps for medical students.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

blue-ocean strategy

Component words

blue ocean

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

red ocean Neutral · CEFR C1

a crowded, hyper-competitive market where rivals fight over existing demand

boil the ocean Neutral · CEFR C1

to attempt something impossibly large or ambitious, especially by trying to solve every problem at once

game changer Neutral · CEFR B2

a new development that fundamentally alters a situation or market

land grab Informal · CEFR B2

a fierce rush to capture as much market share or territory as possible, often before the market matures

first-mover advantage Neutral · CEFR C1

the edge a company gains by entering a market before competitors

winner takes all Neutral · CEFR C1

a market dynamic in which the leading competitor captures nearly all the value

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

markdown