marine

1 of 2

adjective

ma·​rine mə-ˈrēn 

1

a

: of or relating to the sea

marine life

marine biology

b

: of or relating to the act or practice of sailing over the sea : nautical

a marine chart

c

: of or relating to the commerce (see commerce entry 1 sense 2) of the sea : maritime

marine law

d

: depicting the sea, seashore, or ships

a marine painter

2

: of or relating to marines (see marine entry 2 sense 2)

marine barracks

marine

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the mercantile and naval shipping of a country

b

: seagoing ships especially in relation to nationality or class

2

: one of a class of armed services personnel serving on shipboard or in close association with a naval force

specifically : a member of the U.S. Marine Corps

3

: an executive department (as in France) having charge of naval affairs

4

: a marine picture : seascape

Synonyms of marine

Adjective

• oceanic
• maritime
• underwater

Examples of marine in a Sentence

Adjective

marine animals such as dolphins and whales

he loves collecting little marine creatures while at the beach

Noun

He is a former U.S. Marine.

the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Each supports aquatic species adapted to those conditions, from marine fish and shellfish to carp-like freshwater species. —New Atlas, 3 Dec. 2025

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Malaysia's government said Wednesday that American marine robotics company Ocean Infinity would soon resume the seabed search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, more than a decade after the plane vanished over the Indian Ocean. —CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025

Noun

Under the deal, British marines will train in Norway to become accustomed to subzero temperatures, the British defense ministry said. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

Beyond also taps into James Cameron's Aliens by featuring a plucky crew of space marines who are likewise stranded on the planet. —PC Magazine, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Latin marinus, from mare sea; akin to Old English mere sea, pool, Old High German meri sea, Old Church Slavic morje

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1669, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing marine

• marine architect
• marine biologist
• marine iguana
• marine toad
• merchant marine
• sergeant major of the marine corps

Rhymes for marine

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

marine

1 of 2 adjective

ma·​rine mə-ˈrēn 

1

a

: of or relating to the sea

marine life

b

: of or relating to the navigation of the sea : nautical, maritime

a marine chart

marine insurance

2

: of or relating to marines

marine barracks

marine

2 of 2 noun

1

: the commercial and naval shipping of a country

2

: one of a class of soldiers serving aboard ship or in association with a naval force

especially : a member of the U.S. Marine Corps