marina
noun
a boat basin offering dockage and other service for small craft.
marina
1 American
[muh-ree-nuh]
/ məˈri nə /
noun
Marina
2
American
[muh-ree-nuh]
/ məˈri nə /
noun
-
a town in W California.
-
a female given name.
marina
British
/ məˈriːnə /
noun
Etymology
Origin of marina
1795–1805; < Italian, Spanish, noun use of feminine of marino < Latin marīnus marine
Explanation
A marina is a dock, especially a fancy one used for sailboats and yachts. If you live in a harbor town, you can walk down the marina to watch boats come and go. A marina differs from a port, which is also a harbor where boats can dock, because it's designed for small boats and yachts, rather than large ships. Seaside towns and cities often have public marinas for mooring boats, and private yacht clubs also have marinas. The word marine, which means "pertaining to the sea," can help you remember that a marina is a place where boats dock. The Latin root of both is mare, "the sea."
Vocabulary lists containing marina
First-Name Basis: Words That Are Also Names
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dubai's media office said authorities there responded to "a minor incident caused by debris from an aerial interception" that fell on a building around the marina area.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
The casino resort, rising on a man-made island near the Strait of Hormuz, features a superyacht marina, 1,500 rooms and 22 bars and restaurants.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
We understand the attraction of getting older in the countryside, alongside a marina or in an amenity-rich planned community.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Steers helped lead a push against San Diego businessman Irving Okovita, who sought to build a 132-condominium, 175-slip marina on 12.5 acres of Grout Bay territory on the North Shore in the early 2000s.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026
Nope, I didn’t meet anyone’s eyes as I placed one foot ahead of the other, following the curving street until the dented gold marina spire rose out of the bay in front of me.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
