marine

1 of 2

adjective

ma·​rine mə-ˈrēn 

1

a

: of or relating to the sea

marine life

marine biology

b

: of or relating to the act or practice of sailing over the sea : nautical

a marine chart

c

: of or relating to the commerce (see commerce entry 1 sense 2) of the sea : maritime

marine law

d

: depicting the sea, seashore, or ships

a marine painter

2

: of or relating to marines (see marine entry 2 sense 2)

marine barracks

marine

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the mercantile and naval shipping of a country

b

: seagoing ships especially in relation to nationality or class

2

: one of a class of armed services personnel serving on shipboard or in close association with a naval force

specifically : a member of the U.S. Marine Corps

3

: an executive department (as in France) having charge of naval affairs

4

: a marine picture : seascape

Synonyms

Adjective

• maritime
• oceanic
• pelagic

Examples of marine in a Sentence

Adjective

marine animals such as dolphins and whales

he loves collecting little marine creatures while at the beach

Noun

He is a former U.S. Marine.

the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Police have not determined whether the person was killed in a slaying or whether a marine animal or a boating accident could have led to a decapitation, Martin said. —Antonio Planas, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024

Other animal sightings that are possible all year long include manta rays, dolphins, turtles, and various marine birds. —Zachary Rabinor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024

Noun

Lifeguards and marine conservation organizations have been advocating for the stingray shuffle as a standard safety practice, emphasizing its role in mitigating human-marine animal interactions, yet it is not known by all. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Crews were notified of the fire just before 9 p.m. after fire department officials returning from nighttime marine training noticed smoke billowing from the residence at 1681 Main St., according to Fire Chief Jermaine Atkinson. —Richard Chumney, Connecticut Post, 28 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Latin marinus, from mare sea; akin to Old English mere sea, pool, Old High German meri sea, Old Church Slavic morje

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1669, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing marine

• marine architect
• marine biologist
• marine iguana
• marine toad
• merchant marine
• sergeant major of the marine corps

Kids Definition

marine

1 of 2 adjective

ma·​rine mə-ˈrēn 

1

a

: of or relating to the sea

marine life

b

: of or relating to the navigation of the sea : nautical, maritime

a marine chart

marine insurance

2

: of or relating to marines

marine barracks

marine

2 of 2 noun

1

: the commercial and naval shipping of a country

2

: one of a class of soldiers serving aboard ship or in association with a naval force

especially : a member of the U.S. Marine Corps