: the direction or side away from land and toward the open sea
1
: directed or situated toward the sea
2
: coming from the sea
a seaward wind
Examples of seaward in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
The legislation would apply to buildings that sit at least partially seaward of the state’s coastal construction control line, a boundary that hugs the coast and is meant to restrict construction near beaches.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024
Don’t miss the pulpo a la gallega, Galician-style octopus, a wooden plate chock with the tender seaward wonder, drenched in garlic sauce.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024
This rain would have weathered phosphorous from the land and sent it seaward.
—Alka Tripathy-Lang, Ars Technica, 26 Jan. 2024
Its little Lower Town hides on the seaward side of the giant rock, tethered to the mainland only by a skinny spit of land that functions as a causeway.
—Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2024
Mostly the water seeps out near the seaward toe of the wedge.
—Robert Kunzig, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Most of the foundation on the seaward facing side is entirely exposed to the surf, and the septic system appeared to be as well.
—Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 24 July 2023
For example, in the Senate version, if there was more than one line of seaweed, oil, or fine shell debris, the recognizable high tide line would be the most seaward one.
—Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023
David Ferry, Outside Online, 22 June 2016
The picturesque fishing village of Blue Rocks, less than four miles seaward, also beckons.
—Walter Nicklin, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022
The building, however slipped seaward too rapidly and the plan had to be abandoned.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2022
The hope was that the easterlies tumbling seaward from the dry lungs of California’s San Bernardino Valley would slingshot her past Catalina Island and to 125 degrees west longitude, where the currents would shift in her favor.
—Andrew Lewis, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2020
Multiple sharks milled by the inlet, where sandbars are often packed with gray seals and their scent drifts seaward on dropping tides.
—New York Times, 20 Oct. 2021
The Makai Makai means seaward in the Hawaiian language.
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 2 Sep. 2021
Some species like Spanish mackerel may move seaward in lower Mobile Bay with the rains, though the lower salinity doesn’t bother trout and reds much.
—Frank Sargeant, al, 2 July 2021
As the glacier below it began to shift, the entire camp moved with it, sliding 20 inches or more a day as the ice sheet drifted seaward.
—Matt Schudel, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2020
Justin Beal, Harper’s Magazine , 14 Dec. 2022
At the first sight of tuna, the sea lions begin zigzagging and porpoising on the seaward side of the school, gradually driving the fish toward the other end of the cove.
—Stephanie Stone, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2018
The ground on the seaward side of the panels will be back-filled so the tiebacks will not be visible when the work is finished.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2022
Any infrastructure that France built in Central Africa had to enable their seaward dispatch to the metropole.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 6 Aug. 2021
The seaward side of the still house has a huge picture window looking out over the Atlantic.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 20 June 2021
Recent measurements showed the most seaward portion of the house at 245 Pacific is just 22 feet from the edge of the cliff, the staff report states.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2021
The inland walls, some fairly small but others up to 13 feet high, would divide neighborhoods, leaving homes on the seaward side with less protection.
—New York Times, 2 June 2021
Scaffolding lines the seaward side of the boxy concrete building, and there’s more at the top of its distinctive 400-foot-tall smokestack.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2020
Noun
Other major hotel brands are set to expand seaward in the coming years.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
The legislation would apply to buildings that sit at least partially seaward of the state’s coastal construction control line, a boundary that hugs the coast and is meant to restrict construction near beaches.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024
Don’t miss the pulpo a la gallega, Galician-style octopus, a wooden plate chock with the tender seaward wonder, drenched in garlic sauce.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024
This rain would have weathered phosphorous from the land and sent it seaward.
—Alka Tripathy-Lang, Ars Technica, 26 Jan. 2024
Its little Lower Town hides on the seaward side of the giant rock, tethered to the mainland only by a skinny spit of land that functions as a causeway.
—Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2024
Mostly the water seeps out near the seaward toe of the wedge.
—Robert Kunzig, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Most of the foundation on the seaward facing side is entirely exposed to the surf, and the septic system appeared to be as well.
—Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 24 July 2023
For example, in the Senate version, if there was more than one line of seaweed, oil, or fine shell debris, the recognizable high tide line would be the most seaward one.
—Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023
Adverb
Rips flow seaward, out to deep water, so beach access signs across the country advise swimmers to paddle parallel to the beach to escape the them.
—David Ferry, Outside Online, 22 June 2016
The picturesque fishing village of Blue Rocks, less than four miles seaward, also beckons.
—Walter Nicklin, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022
The building, however slipped seaward too rapidly and the plan had to be abandoned.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2022
The hope was that the easterlies tumbling seaward from the dry lungs of California’s San Bernardino Valley would slingshot her past Catalina Island and to 125 degrees west longitude, where the currents would shift in her favor.
—Andrew Lewis, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2020
Multiple sharks milled by the inlet, where sandbars are often packed with gray seals and their scent drifts seaward on dropping tides.
—New York Times, 20 Oct. 2021
The Makai Makai means seaward in the Hawaiian language.
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 2 Sep. 2021
Some species like Spanish mackerel may move seaward in lower Mobile Bay with the rains, though the lower salinity doesn’t bother trout and reds much.
—Frank Sargeant, al, 2 July 2021
As the glacier below it began to shift, the entire camp moved with it, sliding 20 inches or more a day as the ice sheet drifted seaward.
—Matt Schudel, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2020
Adjective
On the seaward side of the bridge, the canal widens to meet the harbor.
—Justin Beal, Harper’s Magazine , 14 Dec. 2022
At the first sight of tuna, the sea lions begin zigzagging and porpoising on the seaward side of the school, gradually driving the fish toward the other end of the cove.
—Stephanie Stone, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2018
The ground on the seaward side of the panels will be back-filled so the tiebacks will not be visible when the work is finished.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2022
Any infrastructure that France built in Central Africa had to enable their seaward dispatch to the metropole.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 6 Aug. 2021
The seaward side of the still house has a huge picture window looking out over the Atlantic.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 20 June 2021
Recent measurements showed the most seaward portion of the house at 245 Pacific is just 22 feet from the edge of the cliff, the staff report states.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2021
The inland walls, some fairly small but others up to 13 feet high, would divide neighborhoods, leaving homes on the seaward side with less protection.
—New York Times, 2 June 2021
Scaffolding lines the seaward side of the boxy concrete building, and there’s more at the top of its distinctive 400-foot-tall smokestack.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seaward.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near seaward
Cite this Entry
“Seaward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seaward. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
seaward
1 of 3 noun
sea·ward
ˈsē-wərd 
: the direction or side away from land and toward the open sea
seaward
2 of 3 adjective1
: going or located toward the sea
2
: coming from the sea
a seaward wind
seaward
3 of 3 adverb
variants
also seawards
-wərdz
: toward the sea
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