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

• 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

While this may cause some disruptions for those located along the northern shorelines and nearby mariners, land impacts will be to a lesser extent with the current path compared to a direct track into the Big Island. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

In their campaign so far, the Houthis have sunk four vessels and killed at least eight mariners. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2025

Licht, who has spent years on Richardson Bay, says a community of mariners who lived for decades on boats have mostly moved ashore. —Steven Rosenfeld, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025

The entire shoreline is under high swim risk warnings, and advisories for boaters and mariners. —Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025

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