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

Examples of maritime in a Sentence

The country's maritime industry is an important part of its economy.

She's an expert in maritime law.

Recent Examples on the Web

Satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime choke point with Iran situated at the top with Qeshm Island and the United Arab Emirates to the South. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 23 June 2025

Tehran’s threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime artery for oil and gas shipments from the Persian Gulf out to the Gulf of Oman and beyond, have also come to naught so far. —Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

Teresa Magbanua, & 🇺🇸 USCG Stratton launched the 1st-ever maritime SAREX in Japan. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025

Map of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz showing maritime tanker traffic in September 2024. —Alain Sherter, CBS News, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin maritimus, from mare

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for maritime

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• mesenchyme
• overtime
• pantomime

Kids Definition

maritime

adjective

mar·​i·​time ˈmar-ə-ˌtīm 

1

: of, relating to, or bordering on the sea

maritime nations

2

: of or relating to navigation or commerce on the sea

maritime law

Legal Definition

maritime

adjective

mar·​i·​time ˈmar-ə-ˌtīm 

: of or relating to navigation or commerce on navigable waters