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 man in the navy or coast guard ranking above a seaman apprentice and below a petty officer

Synonyms

• sailor
• mariner
• navigator

Examples of seaman in a Sentence

a weathered old seaman who now captains a tour boat

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1944, Willie Wesley Thompson, a Navy seaman, saved two lives in the South Pacific. —Curtis Bunn, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025

In actor-writer-director Ustinov’s tackling of Herman Melville’s seafaring 18th-century novel, the young stage actor starred as the titular naïve young seaman who suffers under the sadistic whims of his superior Claggart (Robert Ryan) and is eventually falsely accused of a crime. —Christina Newland, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025

There are no shortage of headlines about the alarming numbers of soldiers and seamen and Marines being overweight. —Noelle Wiehe, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025

The evil seaman, voiced by Mark Hamill, abducts SpongeBob and Patrick Star with the aim of using them to break a curse on his back. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 June 2025

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
• enginemen

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