mariner

noun

mar·​i·​ner ˈmer-ə-nər 

ˈma-rə-

: a person who navigates or assists in navigating a ship : seaman, sailor

Did you know?

In Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, an old seaman tells of how, by shooting a friendly albatross, he had brought storms and disaster to his ship, and how as punishment his shipmates hung the great seabird around the mariner's neck and made him wear it until it rotted. The word mariner has occasionally been used to mean simply "explorer", as in the famous Mariner spaceflights in the 1960s and '70s, the first to fly close to Mars, Venus, and Mercury.

Synonyms of mariner

• sailor
• navigator

Examples of mariner in a Sentence

the ancient Phoenicians were outstanding mariners who explored and colonized much of the eastern Mediterranean

Recent Examples on the Web

Altogether, at least 30 mariners have been killed or are missing in the recent surge of attacks, according to maritime tracking services and the governments of Romania and Bulgaria. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026

He is venerated as a patron saint of sailors, mariners, travelers, and whales. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

And the fact that he was made an officer in the Provincial Marine by the British is a sign of his quality as a mariner and a leader. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

According to family history, DaCosta Levy’s family lineage traced to Portugal, where his ancestors had been mariners — almost certainly Sephardic Jews who scattered across the Atlantic world after the Inquisition. — Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin marinarius, from marinus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mariner

• mariner's compass

Kids Definition

mariner

noun

mar·​i·​ner ˈmar-ə-nər 

: one who navigates or assists in navigating a ship : sailor