sailing

noun

sail·​ing ˈsā-liŋ 

1

a

: the technical skill of managing a ship : navigation

b

: the method of determining the course to be followed to reach a given point

2

a

: the sport of handling or riding in a sailboat

b

: a departure from a port

Examples of sailing in a Sentence

They're going sailing next week.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 74-foot schooner Woodwind provides two-hour sailing excursions on the Chesapeake Bay. —Charles Babington, New York Times, 21 May 2025

So far this month, 17 out of 80 sailings have been canceled and another 10 cancellations next month are expected, Seroka said during his monthly news briefing held Monday. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 21 May 2025

That changed with the rise of European sailing power, with Bermuda soon becoming a critical stopover for ships moving between Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2025

At sea, Quark offers a one-of-a-kind Tundra to Table chef’s table experience, on select Ultramarine sailings, delivered in partnership with Igapall, a Greenlandic culinary nonprofit and Inuit chef collective. —Katherine Alex Beaven, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sailing

• clear sailing
• plain sailing
• sailing ship
• smooth sailing

Rhymes for sailing

• ailing
• bailing
• baling
• failing
• flailing
• grayling
• hailing
• jailing
• mailing
• nailing
• paling
• railing