sailing

1 of 2

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

sailing

2 of 2

present participle of sail entry 2

Examples of sailing in a Sentence

Noun

They're going sailing next week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mitigation means sailing between Charybdis and Scylla – where one path, no mitigation, will hurt everyone and the other, aggressive mitigation, would require some to pay the tremendous costs to save everyone else. — Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026

These sailings, which start and end in different ports of call as a ship moves from one region of the world to another, offer plenty of benefits to travelers. — Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026

And that set up the Ravens' improbable finish that was capped by Loop's kick sailing through the uprights and the jubilant Ravens swarming their kicker during a wild celebration at the Maracana. — CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

The inclusion of women, albeit mandatory, is no small matter, as sailing has long been accused of being a masculine environment, if not outright sexist. — Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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