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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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
- intermarine adjective
- nonmarine adjective
- semimarine adjective
- supermarine adjective
- unmarine adjective
Etymology
Origin of marine
1325–75; Middle English maryne < Middle French marin (feminine marine ) < Latin marīnus of the sea, derivative of mare sea; -ine 1
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.
The group alleged that the Central Coast Regional Water Board illegally allowed the facility to continue operating without technology required under the federal Clean Water Act to protect marine life.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
Alaska's waters support one of the world's most important salmon fisheries, sustained by complex marine food webs.
From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026
Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack said they had tried to stop the whale entering a shallow bay on Poel Island, but it had done so anyway.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
Meanwhile, offshore and marine company Seatrium’s order wins might improve, as higher oil prices tend to drive oil and renewable energy producers to accelerate or add to projects.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Equipped with lights, cameras, thrusters, and other cutting-edge high-tech devices, the Exosuit represents a major breakthrough in marine archaeology.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
