blue-water

American  

[bloo-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈbluˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /

adjective

1. designed to operate on and range over the open sea; oceangoing.

   a bluewater navy that can be dispatched throughout the world, far from its home base.

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Etymology

Origin of blue-water

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Today, China is building a blue-water navy capable of power projection, operating three aircraft carriers, four amphibious assault ships, eight Renhai cruisers, 25 Luyang III destroyers, and 40 Jiangkai II frigates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Navy warfare strategists working on arming the surface fleet for massive blue-water combat.

From Fox News • Jul. 17, 2020

As Europe’s empires continued to spread globally in the 1890s, Mahan’s prolific prose persuaded Washington that national defense required the creation of a genuine blue-water navy and bases in both the Caribbean and the Pacific.

From Salon • Dec. 8, 2018

“China is building a blue-water navy for the long term: not just the carriers themselves but the auxiliary ships to supply them and the warships to protect them,” he said in an email.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2017

I got those things through the blue-water pretty quick, I can tell you.

From In Homespun by Nesbit, E. (Edith)