sailing

1 of 2

noun

sail·​ing ˈsā-liŋ 

1

a

: the technical skill of managing a ship : navigation

b

: the method of determining the course to be followed to reach a given point

2

a

: the sport of handling or riding in a sailboat

b

: a departure from a port

sailing

2 of 2

present participle of sail entry 2

Examples of sailing in a Sentence

Noun

They're going sailing next week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When strong winds are forecast, confirm your sailing with the operator before heading to the port. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

The achievement marks the first successful completion of the Microtransat, an autonomous sailing challenge established in 2010 to push the development of robotic boats. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026

The maiden season of new cruise ships, new or one-off itineraries, and special event sailings tend to go quickly, too. — Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026

The elite of the sailing world may have launched into hyperspace with their flying machines in SailGP and the America’s Cup, but for most sailors their passion still lies in racing slower but more tactical keelboats. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sailing

• clear sailing
• plain sailing
• sailing ship
• smooth sailing

Rhymes for sailing

• ailing
• bailing
• baling
• failing
• flailing
• grayling
• hailing
• jailing
• mailing
• nailing
• paling
• railing