mariner

noun

mar·​i·​ner ˈmer-ə-nər How to pronounce mariner (audio)
ˈma-rə-
: a person who navigates or assists in navigating a ship : seaman, sailor

Did you know?

In Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, an old seaman tells of how, by shooting a friendly albatross, he had brought storms and disaster to his ship, and how as punishment his shipmates hung the great seabird around the mariner's neck and made him wear it until it rotted. The word mariner has occasionally been used to mean simply "explorer", as in the famous Mariner spaceflights in the 1960s and '70s, the first to fly close to Mars, Venus, and Mercury.

Examples of mariner in a Sentence

the ancient Phoenicians were outstanding mariners who explored and colonized much of the eastern Mediterranean
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Until the early 20th century, stories of shark attacks were considered mariners’ tall tales, lumped in with mermaid and sea serpent sightings. Hans Walters, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025 Sailors, also called mariners, are people who navigate or assist in navigating ships. Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 14 July 2025 Garmin has updated its line-up of watches for mariners with the Garmin Quatix 8, which starts at a cool $1199. Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 The next two hours would be a race against time and Mother Nature as conditions on the lake rapidly deteriorated, faster than many locals and longtime mariners had ever seen. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mariner

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin marinarius, from marinus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mariner was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Mariner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mariner. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

mariner

noun
mar·​i·​ner ˈmar-ə-nər How to pronounce mariner (audio)
: one who navigates or assists in navigating a ship : sailor

More from Merriam-Webster on mariner

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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