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territorial waters
plural noun
: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters
Examples of territorial waters in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those picked up within Italy’s territorial waters, or by rescue ships operated by nongovernmental organizations, would retain their right under international and EU law to apply for asylum in Italy and have their claims processed there.
—Vlasov Sulaj and Llazar Semini, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 June 2024
Coming up this week The Philippines and the U.S. begin annual joint military exercises today, but this time the exercises take place far from Philippine territorial waters in a part of the central South China Sea claimed by China.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2024
For the first time since the annual exercise started in 1991, the Philippines and the United States will conduct joint naval drills beyond the 12 nautical miles of the Philippines’ territorial waters, in parts of open sea claimed by China, officials said.
—Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
To this day, Chinese ships continue to encroach into Japanese territorial waters, blatantly disregarding warnings issued by the Japanese Coast Guard.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for territorial waters
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'territorial waters.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1841, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of territorial waters was
in 1841
Dictionary Entries Near territorial waters
Cite this Entry
“Territorial waters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial%20waters. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Legal Definition
territorial waters
noun plural
territorial wa·ters
: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters
More from Merriam-Webster on territorial waters
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about territorial waters
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