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 The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea grants the right of innocent passage to traverse through territorial waters so long as the vessel does not compromise the safety of coastal countries. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 11 July 2024 Several countries in the region lay claim to some of the islands, rocks and territorial waters of the South China Sea, but China’s claims are the most sweeping by far. Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 6 July 2024 The nine-dash line Several countries in the region lay claim to some of the islands, rocks and territorial waters of the South China Sea, but China’s claims are the most sweeping by far. Elizabeth Shackelford, The Mercury News, 5 July 2024 Taiwanese legislator Chen Yu-jen, who represents Kinmen for Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang party, said since then, fishermen in the islands had been careful not to cross into China’s territorial waters due to Chinese coast guard patrols. Eric Cheung, CNN, 3 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for territorial waters 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'territorial waters.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near territorial waters

Cite this Entry

“Territorial waters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial%20waters. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on territorial waters

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