maritime

adjective

mar·​i·​time ˈmer-ə-ˌtīm How to pronounce maritime (audio)
ˈma-rə-
1
: of, relating to, or bordering on the sea
a maritime province
2
: of or relating to navigation or commerce on the sea
3
: having the characteristics of a mariner

Did you know?

The maritime countries of Portugal and England produced many seafaring explorers during the 16th and 17th centuries, many of whom sailed under the flags of other countries. Sailing for the Spanish, Ferdinand Magellan captained the ship that was the first to circle the world, charting many new maritime routes as it went. Henry Hudson, funded by the Dutch, sailed up what we call today the Hudson River, claiming the maritime area that now includes New York City for the Netherlands.

Examples of maritime in a Sentence

The country's maritime industry is an important part of its economy. She's an expert in maritime law.
Recent Examples on the Web The new agreement also sets up a series of military exercises involving the use of undersea and surface maritime drones and improves the ability of the three countries to share intelligence and data collected by their sonobuoys. Lolita C. Baldor, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023 The Pentagon says an American warship and multiple commercial ships came under attack in the Red Sea in a possible escalation of maritime attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war. Jon Gambrell, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Dec. 2023 The development could signify a serious escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the Israel-Hamas war. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 3 Dec. 2023 The shipyard set up a lab, in collaboration with Freudenberg, specialists in maritime fuel cells, to test the methanol fuel cell. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 3 Dec. 2023 The three-acre oasis sits on a ridge between the banks of the largest sound on the East Coast and the Buxton Woods Reserve, one of North America's largest maritime forests. Judy Koutsky, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2023 In 2010, after a maritime dispute where Japan arrested the captain of a Chinese fishing boat, China blocked exports rare earths — which are needed for making permanent magnets, an essential component in clean energy products including electric vehicle motor — to Japan for two months. Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023 Such a move would help Ethiopia to reassert itself as the dominant player in the Horn of Africa, located in East Africa along a strategic maritime trade route. Mahad Darar, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 2023 Sharing a 2,000-mile border with China and located next to key maritime routes, India is a crucial part of Washington’s bulwark against a more assertive Beijing. Courtney Subramanian, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maritime.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin maritimus, from mare

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maritime was circa 1550

Dictionary Entries Near maritime

Cite this Entry

“Maritime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maritime. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

maritime

adjective
mar·​i·​time ˈmar-ə-ˌtīm How to pronounce maritime (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or bordering on the sea
maritime nations
2
: of or relating to navigation or commerce on the sea
maritime law

Legal Definition

maritime

adjective
mar·​i·​time ˈmar-ə-ˌtīm How to pronounce maritime (audio)
: of or relating to navigation or commerce on navigable waters

More from Merriam-Webster on maritime

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