seaman

noun

sea·​man ˈsē-mən 

1

: sailor, mariner

2

a

: any of the three ranks below petty officer in the navy or coast guard

b

: an enlisted member of the navy or coast guard ranking above a seaman apprentice and below a petty officer

Synonyms of seaman

• sailor
• mariner
• navigator

Examples of seaman in a Sentence

a weathered old seaman who now captains a tour boat

Recent Examples on the Web

The skeleton was found with a seaman’s certificate and other papers in a leather pocketbook belonging to Petty Officer Harry Peglar of the HMS Terror. —ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026

But what the New Yorker writer left behind is some of the finest prose of the 20th century, focusing primarily on the eccentrics, scalawags, seamen, and other denizens of New York’s dank corners. —Air Mail, 2 May 2026

This lead seamen to believe that the bananas had caused the ship to sink, and the superstition continues to stay in effect around docks down South. —Abby Fribush, Southern Living, 7 Apr. 2026

Then, noticing changes in the wind and the rocking of the boat, an uneasiness crept over the veteran seaman. —Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing seaman

• able-bodied seaman
• able seaman
• merchant seaman
• ordinary seaman
• seaman apprentice
• seaman recruit

Rhymes for seaman

• beeman
• daemon
• demon
• leman
• niemann
• seamen
• semen

Kids Definition

seaman

noun

sea·​man ˈsē-mən 

1

: sailor, mariner

2

: a naval enlisted person with a rank below those of petty officers

especially : an enlisted person with a rank just below that of petty officer third class