nautical

adjective

nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯ-ti-kəl 

ˈnä-

: of, relating to, or associated with seamen, navigation, or ships

a dictionary of nautical terms

nautical flags

nautical skills

nautically

ˈnȯ-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˈnä-

adverb

Synonyms

• marine
• maritime
• navigational

Examples of nautical in a Sentence

a dictionary of nautical terms

collected sextants and other antique nautical equipment

Recent Examples on the Web

Spanish designer Luis Bustamante took inspiration from the nearby Old Port, using a nautical, sophisticated, red, white, and blue palette throughout the property. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025

Expect lots of crisp navy-blue details and nautical curves on walls and furniture (the interior design hints at the neighborhood’s history as a port for shipping and shipbuilding). —Laura Dannen Redman, AFAR Media, 14 Apr. 2025

But Ulysse Nardin—which has a rich history of nautical timepieces—stripped away all of those functions to produce the world’s lightest mechanical dive watch. —Michael Solomon, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025

Start watching no later than 70 minutes before sunrise — the start of nautical twilight, which is when the disk of the sun is positioned 12 degrees below the horizon. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin nauticus, from Greek nautikos, from nautēs sailor, from naus ship — more at nave

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing nautical

• nautical mile

Rhymes for nautical

• aeronautical
• astronautical

Kids Definition

nautical

adjective

nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯt-i-kəl 

ˈnät-

: of or relating to sailors, navigation, or ships

nautically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Etymology

from Latin nauticus "nautical," from Greek nautikos (same meaning), from nautēs "sailor," from naus "ship" — related to astronaut, nausea see Word History at nausea