maritime

adjective

mar·​i·​time ˈmer-ə-ˌtīm 

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.

Synonyms of maritime

• nautical
• naval
• navigational
• marine

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 crew was rescued by local authorities after escaping in a lifeboat, the vessel’s Company Security Officer (CSO) told the maritime organization Sunday morning local time. — CNN Money, 12 July 2026

International maritime safety regulations require passenger ships to be capable of evacuating everyone within 30 minutes of an order to abandon ship. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2026

Oman’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the latest attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait in an X post, warning that the escalation of military tensions in the region poses a threat to not only its security, but overall maritime safety. — Jamie Gray, NBC news, 9 July 2026

The space is deep blue, like the sea that inspires so much of designer Renna Brown-Taher’s designs, and features lavish maritime illustrations by British artist Susannah Garrod. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 9 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin maritimus, from mare

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for maritime

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• mesenchyme
• overtime
• pantomime

Kids Definition

maritime

adjective

mar·​i·​time ˈmar-ə-ˌtīm 

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 

: of or relating to navigation or commerce on navigable waters