high seas

British  

plural noun

1. (sometimes singular) the open seas of the world, outside the jurisdiction of any one nation

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high seas Idioms  

1. Open waters of an ocean or sea, beyond the territorial jurisdiction of a country. For example, Commercial fishermen are being forced to go out on the high seas in order to make a living. [c. 1100]

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Example Sentences

But, they’re committed on the high seas, so to the extent there’s jurisdiction at all, this falls under the authority of federal district court or federal military tribunals.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

All this comes at a time when more people are sailing the high seas than ever before, according to Cruise Lines International Association, the industry trade group.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Presumably, this is the rationale Washington employed when it recently seized the reflagged tanker Marinera on the high seas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

He was also the new owner of a sleek $70 million yacht that some law enforcement officials worried he might use to escape on the high seas.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

It was a chilly night and the desert breeze was blowing, making the old wooden ceilings creak and the curtains swell like black sails on the high seas.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende