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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nor does the right to life change depending on whether killings took place in territorial waters or on the high seas. Mary Ellen O'Connell, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025 The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has justified the order on national security grounds and concerns that Revolution Wind will interfere with other uses of U.S. territorial waters. Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025 Advertisement Late last month, the Pentagon also ordered three U.S. Navy missile destroyers—the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and USS Sampson—and around 4,000 military personnel to the edge of Venezuela’s territorial waters, according to Reuters. Richard Hall, Time, 3 Sep. 2025 In response, the country has mobilized 15,000 security forces along its Colombian border and announced plans to patrol territorial waters with drones and naval vessels, while encouraging civil defense training nationwide. Emma Marsden john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Territorial waters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial%20waters. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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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