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

Dimitris Ampatzidis, maritime risk and compliance manager at Kpler, said the attacks underscored Iran's continuing ability to threaten commercial vessels, with the risks extending beyond oil and gas transportation. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Its experimental results could help determine whether fast-spectrum molten chloride reactors can progress toward practical applications, including future maritime power systems. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

The threat that the Houthis could bring another critical maritime chokepoint to a standstill, much like Iran has done with the Strait of Hormuz, could give Tehran significant leverage in its negotiations with Washington. — Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

But since the start of the war, Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria have continued upgrading their navies while forging closer cooperation on maritime security, according to Carnegie. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 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