maritime
adjective
mar·i·time ˈmer-ə-ˌtīm 
ˈma-rə-
1
: of, relating to, or bordering on the sea
a maritime province
2
: of or relating to navigation or commerce on the sea
3
: having the characteristics of a mariner
Did you know?
The maritime countries of Portugal and England produced many seafaring explorers during the 16th and 17th centuries, many of whom sailed under the flags of other countries. Sailing for the Spanish, Ferdinand Magellan captained the ship that was the first to circle the world, charting many new maritime routes as it went. Henry Hudson, funded by the Dutch, sailed up what we call today the Hudson River, claiming the maritime area that now includes New York City for the Netherlands.
Synonyms
- marine
- nautical
- navigational
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The country's maritime industry is an important part of its economy. She's an expert in maritime law.
Recent Examples on the Web Birds breeding in eastern North America head out over the Atlantic in maritime Canada or the northeastern U.S. and make a 60-hour, nonstop, 1,500-mile (2,500-kilometer) flight to the Greater Antilles. 
Tom Langen, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 Originally built as a maritime commerce ship traveling between England and Spain, the aging ship underwent a major retrofit for its globe-trotting journey. Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 6 Sep. 2022 But criminal prosecution of the worst maritime disaster in modern California history has taken an unexpected turn. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2022 Another incident occurred Tuesday when a U.S. coastal patrol ship stopped an Iranian ship from towing away a maritime drone in the Persian Gulf. Michael R. Gordon, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 The ruling came on the third anniversary of one of the deadliest maritime disasters in recent U.S. history as the Conception went down in flames Sept. 2, 2019, near an island off the coast of Santa Barbara. CBS News, 2 Sep. 2022 New Haven and Bridgeport also have harbors, prone to silting, with commercially valuable maritime industries. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 2 Sep. 2022 Chigasaki-kan was built by a former maritime engineer named Shinjiro Mori in 1899, a time when the surrounding region was mostly just an undeveloped expanse of natural coastline. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2022 About a week prior to the swell, the island’s various maritime emergency-response units began coordinating. Tasha Zemke, Outside Online, 30 Aug. 2022 See More
Tom Langen, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 Originally built as a maritime commerce ship traveling between England and Spain, the aging ship underwent a major retrofit for its globe-trotting journey. Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 6 Sep. 2022 But criminal prosecution of the worst maritime disaster in modern California history has taken an unexpected turn. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2022 Another incident occurred Tuesday when a U.S. coastal patrol ship stopped an Iranian ship from towing away a maritime drone in the Persian Gulf. Michael R. Gordon, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 The ruling came on the third anniversary of one of the deadliest maritime disasters in recent U.S. history as the Conception went down in flames Sept. 2, 2019, near an island off the coast of Santa Barbara. CBS News, 2 Sep. 2022 New Haven and Bridgeport also have harbors, prone to silting, with commercially valuable maritime industries. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 2 Sep. 2022 Chigasaki-kan was built by a former maritime engineer named Shinjiro Mori in 1899, a time when the surrounding region was mostly just an undeveloped expanse of natural coastline. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2022 About a week prior to the swell, the island’s various maritime emergency-response units began coordinating. Tasha Zemke, Outside Online, 30 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin maritimus, from mare
First Known Use
circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
maritime
adjective
mar·i·time ˈmer-ə-ˌtīm
1
: of or relating to ocean navigation or trade
maritime law
2
: bordering on or living near the sea
maritime nations
Legal Definition
maritime
adjective
mar·i·time ˈmar-ə-ˌtīm
: of or relating to navigation or commerce on navigable waters
maritime
adjective
1
as in nautical
of or relating to navigation of the sea a rare maritime chart from the 17th century Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- nautical
- naval
- marine
- navigational
- seafaring
- seagoing
- admiralty
- oceangoing
- oceanographic
- oceanographical
- hydrographic
2
as in marine
of or relating to the sea the city's extraordinary boom is almost entirely due to the increase in maritime commerce Synonyms & Similar Words
- marine
- oceanic
- naval
- underwater
- nautical
- pelagic
- deepwater
- admiralty
- oceanographic
- saltwater
- undersea
- deep-sea
- hydrographic
- oceanographical
- benthic
- abyssal