nautical

adjective

nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯ-ti-kəl 

ˈnä-

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

a dictionary of nautical terms

nautical flags

nautical skills

nautically

ˈnȯ-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˈnä-

adverb

Synonyms of nautical

• navigational
• naval
• marine
• maritime

Examples of nautical in a Sentence

a dictionary of nautical terms

collected sextants and other antique nautical equipment

Recent Examples on the Web

The concept was based on time balls, nautical devices that had gained popularity in the 19th century. —Jack Guy, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025

Northern Michigan decor is part log-cabin woodsy, part Victorian summer-cottage vintage, and a good dose of nautical. —Stacy Conde, Midwest Living, 30 Dec. 2025

Five of the seven zones overlap with Taiwan’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters, according to Eurasia Group. —Peter Guo, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025

Rockets fired by Chinese forces landed inside Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile line, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said. —Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 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