admiralty

noun

ad·​mi·​ral·​ty ˈad-m(ə-)rəl-tē How to pronounce admiralty (audio)
1
capitalized : the executive department or officers formerly having general authority over British naval affairs
2
: the court having jurisdiction over questions of maritime law
also : the system of law administered by admiralty courts

Examples of admiralty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But the judge questioned whether Congress can strip courts of their own admiralty jurisdiction over a shipwreck, something that has centuries of legal precedent. CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 With the help of Myron Avery - an admiralty lawyer at the U.S. Maritime Commission in Washington - the A.T. reached completion 16 years later. Lizzie Johnson and Lauren Tierney, Anchorage Daily News, 27 July 2023 Federal admiralty law also requires cruise ship owners and operators to exercise reasonable care to its passengers, which remains a focal point on the cruising industry following coronavirus outbreaks aboard ships during the onset of the pandemic in early 2020. al, 23 May 2021 Federal admiralty laws trumped state laws. Chad Lewis, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2020 In 1905, just eight years after the Turbinia’s public debut, the British admiralty decided all future Royal Navy vessels should be turbine powered. IEEE Spectrum, 31 May 2019 Jones met admiralty lawyers who flew in from San Francisco to represent the marine insurers, sparking his interest in law. oregonlive, 3 Oct. 2022 Under United States admiralty law, criminal charges like the ones filed against the three men only apply in federal court if the waterway upon which the crime is alleged to have happened is deemed navigable. Arkansas Online, 17 July 2021 Federal charges were dismissed against the three in December 2020 after a judge ruled that the lake wasn’t subject to admiralty law and suggested that the criminal case be brought under state law. Joe Barrett, WSJ, 16 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'admiralty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English admiralte, ameralte "office or jurisdiction of an admiral," borrowed from Anglo-French admiralté, amiralté from admiral, amiral admiral + -té -ty

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of admiralty was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near admiralty

Cite this Entry

“Admiralty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admiralty. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

admiralty

1 of 2 noun
1
: a group of officials formerly in charge of the British navy
2
: the court having authority over questions of maritime law
also : the system of law administered by admiralty courts

admiralty

2 of 2 adjective
ad·​mi·​ral·​ty
ˈad-mə-rəl-tē,
-mrəl-
: of or relating to conduct on the sea

Legal Definition

admiralty

noun
ad·​mi·​ral·​ty ˈad-mə-rəl-tē How to pronounce admiralty (audio)
: the court having jurisdiction over questions of maritime law
also : maritime law

More from Merriam-Webster on admiralty

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