mariner

A mariner is a sailor, especially a professional one.

The word sailor is used much more commonly than mariner, which often sounds formal or old-fashioned. Mariner is sometimes used as a more poetic word for sailor, much like its synonym seafarer.

In literature, the word is associated with its use in the title of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which is considered highly influential and a landmark of Romantic literature. It is in fact about a sailor.

Mariner was also the name of a NASA program involving a series of probes (which were also each named Mariner along with a number) launched to gather information while orbiting Mars, Venus, and Mercury.

The word also appears in the name of the Seattle Mariners baseball team—a reference to Seattle’s heritage as a port city.

Example: The seaside pub was frequented by salty old mariners.

The first records of the word mariner come from the 1200s. It ultimately comes from the Latin word marīnus, meaning “marine” (of or relating to the sea or ocean). The suffix -er is used to indicate a person’s occupation (as it is in words like farmer and lawyer).

The word mariner can refer to both professional and amateurs sailors. The term master mariner is a title that can be earned by completing a professional certification that allows a person to operate a naval vessel of any size. Still, the term mariner is not commonly used in general discussion of ships and sailing.

What are some synonyms for mariner?

• sailor
• seafarer
• seaman

What are some words that share a root or word element with mariner? 

• mariner’s compass
• marine
• marina

What are some words that often get used in discussing mariner?

• sail
• ship
• ocean
• ancient
• rime
• Seattle

Outside of its use in the name of the Seattle Mariners baseball team, mariner is much less commonly used than sailor, which means the same thing.

A Small Craft Advisory is in effect for our Gulf Waters from 7 AM to 7 PM today. Winds will be north/northeast around 20 kt, with higher gusts, & seas 4 to 6 ft. Inexperienced mariners or those with small vessels are encouraged to alter plans to avoid these conditions. #txwx pic.twitter.com/aQaydp5OoU

— NWS Corpus Christi (@NWSCorpus) November 2, 2019

Vikings are famously fearsome mariners and their swords were status symbols showing they were trained in swordfighting and had the resources to have one made. This 10th c. Viking sword was a gift of our Bronze Door Society and is likely over 1,000 years old! #MarinerMoment pic.twitter.com/vHfGslzHZx

— The Mariners' Museum (@MarinersMuseum) September 10, 2020

Get your sea legs & meet the mariners of Fishermen’s Terminal: https://t.co/iBITdVQHyv

— Port of Seattle – ⚓️ (@PortofSeattle) June 19, 2017

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of mariner?

A. sailor
B. seaman
C. fisherman
D. seafarer