marine
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the sea; existing in or produced by the sea.
marine vegetation.
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pertaining to navigation or shipping; nautical; naval; maritime.
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serving on shipboard, as soldiers.
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of or belonging to the marines.
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adapted for use at sea.
a marine barometer.
noun
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marines
plural
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a member of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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one of a class of naval troops serving both on shipboard and on land.
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seagoing ships collectively, especially with reference to nationality or class; shipping in general.
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a picture with a marine subject; seascape.
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naval affairs, or the department of a government, as in France, having to do with such affairs.
idioms
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dead marine, an empty bottle of beer or spirits.
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tell it / that to the marines! I don't believe your story; I refuse to be fooled.
adjective
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of, found in, or relating to the sea
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of or relating to shipping, navigation, etc
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of or relating to a body of seagoing troops
marine corps
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of or relating to a government department concerned with maritime affairs
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used or adapted for use at sea
a marine camera
noun
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shipping and navigation in general
the merchant marine
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(capital when part of a name) a member of a marine corps or similar body
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a picture of a ship, seascape, etc
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informal an expression of disbelief
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Relating to the sea.
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Relating to a system of open-ocean and unprotected coastal habitats, characterized by exposure to wave action, tidal fluctuation, and ocean currents and by the absence of trees, shrubs, or emergent vegetation. Water in the marine system is at or near the full salinity of seawater.
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Compare lacustrine palustrine riverine
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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intermarineadjective
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nonmarineadjective
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semimarineadjective
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supermarineadjective
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unmarineadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of marine
1325–75; Middle English maryne < Middle French marin (feminine marine ) < Latin marīnus of the sea, derivative of mare sea; see -ine 1
Explanation
If it has to do with the ocean or sea, you can call it marine. Your friend in the U.S. Armed Services who is a Marine probably spends a lot of time near the ocean. Marine life is everything that lives in the water: plants, fish, sharks, algae, crabs, seahorses, giant squid, and the list goes on and on. When you study things that live in or near the sea, you are either a marine biologist or just really excited about ocean life. If you work in a field that deals with the ocean, boats, sailors or the navy you could be, for instance, a marine meteorologist.
Vocabulary lists containing marine
Something's Fishy: A Fresh Catch of Aquatic Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Pacific Islands - Introductory
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Pacific Islands - Middle School and High School
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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.
See Examples For:
Even the headliners check out the marine life, Carter says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
LoBue now spots the marine mammals basically every time he's out on the water.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
It said the vessels - two small CalMac ferries, a fisheries research ship and a marine protection vessel - would provide a "bridge to the future" for the yard.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The investigation began with an unusual marine worm called Olavius algarvensis.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Ellsberg willed his way through a training course filled with jocks and tough guys, and he served with pride as a marine lieutenant.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
An MoD inquiry into the potential exposure found no evidence the marines and soldiers had been given a health and protection brief informing them of the asbestos hazard before, during or immediately after deployment.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Another photo showed a grinning Kim sitting with Ju Ae at a table in the ship's mess hall, surrounded by uniformed marines eating instant rice meals.
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
Soldiers, marines, and their support crews need food, water, ammo, and other supplies; a base of some sort would have to be set up.
From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026
US Central Command said on X that the newly-arrived sailors and marines were part of a unit led by the warship USS Tripoli, which also includes assault and transport assets.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026
Two marines — they had obviously been in Nam awhile — came over and stood near the sergeant and looked at us.
From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
