steerage

noun

steer·​age ˈstir-ij How to pronounce steerage (audio)
1
: the act or practice of steering
broadly : direction
2
[from its originally being located near the rudder] : a section of inferior accommodations in a passenger ship for passengers paying the lowest fares

Examples of steerage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Newsom finds himself in political steerage with Kamala Harris’ ascendancy to the Democratic Party’s throne. Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2024 The panel was particularly impressed with Gilford’s humane storytelling, graceful steerage, engagingly down-to-earth tone, and life-embracing characters. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 2 July 2024 There were five dozen other passengers, all but two in steerage, and the crossing, in miserable weather, took almost two months. David Owen, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2024 Her dad was a blacksmith, and her mom arrived in the U.S. in the steerage section of a steamship. Korin Miller, Women's Health, 21 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for steerage 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of steerage was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near steerage

Cite this Entry

“Steerage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steerage. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

steerage

noun
steer·​age ˈsti(ə)r-ij How to pronounce steerage (audio)
1
: the act or practice of steering
2
: a section in a passenger ship for passengers paying the lowest fares

More from Merriam-Webster on steerage

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!