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

In partnership with the renowned mariners’ club Barton & Gray, the hotel is offering its ‘Adventures on the Water’ experience for a second consecutive summer, running through October 2025 . —Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Common misperceptions People who are interested in working on yachts don’t need to be expert mariners or have boating experience, Ortega said. —Kaela Ling, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025

Industry rules set strict alcohol limits for commercial mariners; exceeding them by multiple times heightens the risk of collision, grounding or other maritime incidents during transit and docking. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025

This will create treacherous conditions for mariners. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 18 Aug. 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