freeboard

noun

free·​board ˈfrē-ˌbȯrd 

1

: the distance between the waterline and the main deck or weather deck of a ship or between the level of the water and the upper edge of the side of a small boat

2

: the height above the recorded high-water mark of a structure (such as a dam) associated with the water

Examples of freeboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Several experienced boaters pointed out that Pickles’ Chris-Craft appeared to have a low freeboard, the distance between the rim of the boat and the surface of the water. —Ethan Wolin updated July 4, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2025

One problem was that DUKW’s low freeboard, a nautical term that describes the difference between the waterline and a vessel’s main deck. —Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 17 Jan. 2023

Only a few small inches of freeboard lay between the water and the top of my gunwales. —Florence Williams, Outside Online, 1 Feb. 2022

New Jersey and New York instituted two feet of freeboard after Superstorm Sandy. —Alex Harris, sun-sentinel.com, 2 Dec. 2019

The Yamaha doesn't appear to have any flair up front to knock down spray, and at the bow the freeboard (the distance from the edge of the boat down to the deck) is minimal. —Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, 11 July 2019

The present system is overdesigned for those surges, with earthen levees and concrete structures containing as much as 3 feet of extra storage space, or freeboard, to account for subsidence and sea level rise over their 50-year design life. —Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, 22 May 2018

And maybe a 1-foot freeboard isn't high enough, Berginnis said. —Thom Patterson, CNN, 31 Aug. 2017

Or consider Nashville, Tennessee, which has a freeboard of 4 feet. —Thom Patterson, CNN, 31 Aug. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1718, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for freeboard

• abhorred
• aboard
• accord
• adored
• afford
• award
• baseboard
• billboard
• blackboard
• boxboard
• breadboard
• broadsword

Kids Definition

freeboard

noun

free·​board ˈfrē-ˌbō(ə)rd 

-ˌbȯ(ə)rd

: the distance between the waterline and the upper edge of the side of a ship or boat