sea

noun \ ˈsē \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Definition of sea

1 a : a great body of salt water that covers much of the earth; broadly : the waters of the earth as distinguished from the land and air

b : a body of salt water of second rank more or less landlocked

the Mediterranean sea

c : ocean

d : an inland body of water —used especially for names of such bodies

the Caspian Sea

2 a : surface motion on a large body of water or its direction; also : a large swell or wave —often used in plural

heavy seas

b : the disturbance of the ocean or other body of water due to the wind

3 : something likened to the sea especially in vastness

a sea of faces

4 : the seafaring life

5 : ²mare

—

sea

adjective

— at sea

1 : on the sea; specifically : on a sea voyage

2 : lost, bewildered

— to sea

: to or on the open waters of the sea

See sea defined for English-language learners

See sea defined for kids

Examples of sea in a Sentence

the seas of the Southern Hemisphere
millions of plants and animals live in the sea

Recent Examples of sea from the Web

Just float on and let the seas be parted for you, not against you.

— bess matassa, Teen Vogue, "Weekly Horoscopes July 16-22," 13 July 2018
Some were passed their children, some were passed their flag — both ended up draped around the players, as a checkerboard sea churned in the stands of the Luzhniki Stadium.

— rory smith, New York Times, "Croatia Digs Deeper, Burying England’s World Cup Dreams," 12 July 2018
Native villages along the coast are moving inland to flee rising seas.

— kelsey brugger, Scientific American, "Alaska Wants to Fight Warming While Still Drilling for Oil," 12 July 2018
Reverse fuel cells would knit the two together into ammonia for loading on the tankers—a bounty of energy from the sun, air, and sea.

— robert f. service, Science | AAAS, "Ammonia—a renewable fuel made from sun, air, and water—could power the globe without carbon," 12 July 2018
The fog layer looks like a pearl sea that extends for miles to the western horizon.

— tom stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "’Tis the season for ‘Dancing with Fog’," 12 July 2018
Even in Las Vegas, a scorching sea of neon signs and strange creatures, his never-ending arms draw gawks.

— San Antonio Express-News, "The Bamba Project is still in early stages," 11 July 2018
Climate change may mean more cases A 2016 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggested that warmer ocean temperatures may be fueling the growth of dangerous bacteria—including Vibrio—in northern seas.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "Vibrio Vulnificus: What to Know About The 'Flesh-Eating Bacteria' That Has a New Jersey Man Fighting For His Life," 10 July 2018
Yes, the French team has roots stretching across borders, seas and hemispheres, tracing histories of colonization and the paths of migration that shaped today’s world.

— angela charlton, The Seattle Times, "Migration, outreach mean diversity is soccer’s new normal," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sea.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sea

Middle English see, from Old English sǣ; akin to Old High German sē sea, Goth saiws

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

sea Synonyms

Synonyms

blue, brine, deep, ocean, seven seas;

Related Words

blue water, high seas, main, waters;

basin;

Davy Jones's locker, depths;

Other Oceanography Terms

littoral, sound

SEA Defined for English Language Learners

sea

noun

Definition of sea for English Language Learners

: the salt water that covers much of the Earth's surface ( literary )
: a large body of water that is part of the sea or that has land around part or all of it
: an area of the sea