sailing

noun

sail·​ing ˈsā-liŋ 

1

a

: the technical skill of managing a ship : navigation

b

: the method of determining the course to be followed to reach a given point

2

a

: the sport of handling or riding in a sailboat

b

: a departure from a port

Examples of sailing in a Sentence

They're going sailing next week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Oceania Cruises’ 1,200-guest Oceania Allura is new for 2025, sailing in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Canada and New England. —Stacey Zable, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025

October has seen 93 blank sailings, up from 58 in September, according to data from maritime research firm Drewry, with container capacity reduced by roughly 7 percent month over month. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 29 Oct. 2025

In May 2025, Jill Whelan told PEOPLE about getting together with costars Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell and Ted Lange on Princess’ The Love Boat Celebration sailing in recent years. —Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025

That means complimentary access to wakeboarding, water skiing, tubing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, sailing, and kayaking. —Kate Van Dyke, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sailing

• clear sailing
• plain sailing
• sailing ship
• smooth sailing

Rhymes for sailing

• ailing
• bailing
• baling
• failing
• flailing
• grayling
• hailing
• jailing
• mailing
• nailing
• paling
• railing