nautical

adjective

nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯ-ti-kəl 

ˈnä-

: of, relating to, or associated with seamen, navigation, or ships

a dictionary of nautical terms

nautical flags

nautical skills

nautically

ˈnȯ-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˈnä-

adverb

Synonyms

• navigational
• naval
• marine
• maritime

Examples of nautical in a Sentence

a dictionary of nautical terms

collected sextants and other antique nautical equipment

Recent Examples on the Web

Two cars named Above and Beyond with subtle but unmistakable nautical references—including the port and starboard colors on a boat’s lights, along with design motifs of several famous superyachts. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025

Don’t limit yourself to wearing these shoes in nautical destinations—even city dwellers are getting in on this trend. —Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025

Despite geopolitical woes and tariff jitters, Vitelli said the high-end nautical world is weathering the storm. —Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025

The restricted zone extends in a 15-nautical-mile radius stretching from downtown Chicago to north of Evanston, west of Elmhurst and south of Dolton. —Alex Dvorak, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin nauticus, from Greek nautikos, from nautēs sailor, from naus ship — more at nave

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing nautical

• nautical mile

Rhymes for nautical

• aeronautical
• astronautical

Kids Definition

nautical

adjective

nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯt-i-kəl 

ˈnät-

: of or relating to sailors, navigation, or ships

nautically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Etymology

from Latin nauticus "nautical," from Greek nautikos (same meaning), from nautēs "sailor," from naus "ship" — related to astronaut, nausea see Word History at nausea