sailing

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

Examples of sailing in a Sentence

They're going sailing next week.

Recent Examples on the Web

The couple had spent the past decade sailing together, charting a life across open water — learning to scuba dive, chasing marine life and finding meaning in the quiet, in-between moments at sea. —Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026

Carnival Cruise Line welcomes guests of all ages on board, but there’s a way to book adults-only sailings. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026

Created by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and champion yachtsman Russell Coutts in 2018, SailGP pits high-speed catamarans against each other in sailing competitions all over the world. —Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2026

Carrying the movie is Jasper Billerbeck, whom Akin’s casting director found at a sailing school. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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