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

Although the club has been operating at less than the full 3,800-4,000 daily capacity, there is anecdotal evidence from cruise passengers on Facebook and Cruise Critic that the club has been sold out on select sailings recently. —Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026

Riverside does some sailings that are as short as three nights, and also offers more traditional seven-night options. —Janice Wald Henderson, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026

Here were the best and worst parts of sailing in Europe. —Eve Chen, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026

The Spanish royal family and sailing King Felipe, his father King Juan Carlos, his mother Queen Sofia, and his sister, Infanta Cristina, have all participated in several editions of the Olympic Games via the Bourbon tradition of sailing. —Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 5 Feb. 2026

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