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

Coast Guard has organized ship formations to continuously strengthen law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen, further strengthening control over the relevant maritime areas. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Advertisement Historically people understood the maritime world through the sea and rivers, Khir says. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 Nov. 2025

Its design supports long-range maritime operations that require minimal human support. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025

Now, well over a century after the world’s most famous maritime disaster, the pocket watch Isidor was wearing at the time has come up for sale. —Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025

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