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

To protect these specialized mariners, pilot boats evolved into highly stable, heavy-duty vessels. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 June 2026

Shortly after the vessel was struck, the United Nations' International Maritime Organization paused an effort to evacuate hundreds of ships and thousands of mariners who were stranded in the Persian Gulf. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 26 June 2026

Nearby mariners reported smoke rising from where the Fiorella was last seen. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026

Although Dans had never been to Greenland, his grandfather had served there as a merchant mariner during the Second World War, and had later helped construct Pituffik Space Base. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 15 June 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