territorial waters

plural noun

: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters

Examples of territorial waters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The incident took place 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters. Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 16 June 2026 Five years ago, Russia said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the Black Sea to force the British destroyer HMS Defender out of an area near Crimea that Moscow claimed as its territorial waters. ABC News, 16 June 2026 Legal experts say allowing Iran to control passage would violate international law on freedom of navigation as set forth in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which requires countries to permit peaceful passage through territorial waters. David McHugh, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026 Since then, most ships seeking to exit or enter have sought approval from the IRGC, which mined the main channel and created another path through its territorial waters. Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for territorial waters

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of territorial waters was in 1841

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Territorial waters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial%20waters. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

territorial waters

noun plural
territorial wa·​ters
: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters

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