nautical

adjective

nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯ-ti-kəl 

ˈnä-

: of, relating to, or associated with sailors, navigation, or ships

a dictionary of nautical terms

nautical flags

nautical skills

nautically

ˈnȯ-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˈnä-

adverb

Synonyms of nautical

• navigational
• naval
• marine
• maritime

Examples of nautical in a Sentence

a dictionary of nautical terms

collected sextants and other antique nautical equipment

Recent Examples on the Web

Unauthorized drone flights will be prohibited within a three-nautical-mile radius of host stadiums, up to 3,000 feet above ground level, officials said. —Sofia Baltodano, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026

However, one easy way to translate this nautical trend into everyday life is through stylish seashells. —Frances Solá-Santiago, InStyle, 24 May 2026

The combination of the missile and the radar could give the aircraft a 400-nautical-mile (460 mile) class stand-off strike capability. —Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026

No more bulbous, nautical EQS shapes or minorly smoothed over boxy G-Wagen aesthetic. —ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin nauticus, from Greek nautikos, from nautēs sailor, from naus ship — more at nave

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing nautical

• nautical mile

Rhymes for nautical

• aeronautical
• astronautical

Kids Definition

nautical

adjective

nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯt-i-kəl 

ˈnät-

: of or relating to sailors, navigation, or ships

nautically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Etymology

from Latin nauticus "nautical," from Greek nautikos (same meaning), from nautēs "sailor," from naus "ship" — related to astronaut, nausea see Word History at nausea