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

Iran demands that ships use a northern route through its territorial waters to transit the strait or risk coming under attack. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

In a bid to control traffic through the narrow waterway, Iran has designated routes going through their territorial waters. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Oman and Iran border opposite sides of the strait; their respective territorial waters meet in the 21-mile-wide choke point. — Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2026

No damage was done, no one was harmed and one of the missiles fell within the UAE's territorial waters while the other fell outside. — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for territorial waters

• backwaters
• breakwaters
• floodwaters
• granddaughters
• groundwaters
• headwaters
• shearwaters
• wastewaters
• blotters
• daughters
• otters
• plotters

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