maritime

adjective

mar·​i·​time ˈmer-ə-ˌtīm 

ˈma-rə-

1

: of, relating to, or bordering on the sea

a maritime province

2

: of or relating to navigation or commerce on the sea

3

: having the characteristics of a mariner

Did you know?

The maritime countries of Portugal and England produced many seafaring explorers during the 16th and 17th centuries, many of whom sailed under the flags of other countries. Sailing for the Spanish, Ferdinand Magellan captained the ship that was the first to circle the world, charting many new maritime routes as it went. Henry Hudson, funded by the Dutch, sailed up what we call today the Hudson River, claiming the maritime area that now includes New York City for the Netherlands.

Synonyms of maritime

• nautical
• naval
• navigational
• marine

Examples of maritime in a Sentence

The country's maritime industry is an important part of its economy.

She's an expert in maritime law.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lockheed Martin has also invested $120 million of its own funding to prepare the missile for maritime operations. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, known as SWCCs, are elite maritime operators training to operate high-speed, heavily armed boats that transport Navy SEALs into and out of hostile territory, along with other maritime missions. — James Laporta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026

The contract deadline for union security workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and their maritime employers has been pushed back to Friday, again prolonging the threat of a potential strike at the San Pedro Bay docks. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

Some passengers and maritime tracking websites indicated the ship was bound for Singapore. — Reuters, NBC news, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin maritimus, from mare

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for maritime

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• mesenchyme
• overtime
• pantomime

Kids Definition

maritime

adjective

mar·​i·​time ˈmar-ə-ˌtīm 

1

: of, relating to, or bordering on the sea

maritime nations

2

: of or relating to navigation or commerce on the sea

maritime law

Legal Definition

maritime

adjective

mar·​i·​time ˈmar-ə-ˌtīm 

: of or relating to navigation or commerce on navigable waters