maritime law

American

noun

the body of law relating to maritime commerce and navigation, and to maritime matters generally.

Etymology

Origin of maritime law

First recorded in 1860–65

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.

Under international maritime law, you have free passage to go through the Strait of Hormuz, but that is now being tested.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Hormuz was not built, engineered, financed or constructed by any country, but is a natural passage governed by a United Nations convention on maritime law guaranteeing transit, Al Jaber wrote.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

A nation’s exclusive economic zone typically extends as much as 230 miles from its coastline and under maritime law gives that nation exclusive rights over fishing, oil and gas exploration, and other resources.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

Legal experts previously told the BBC that the fatal strike on the first vessel in international waters may have violated international human rights and maritime law.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2025

He explained that it was maritime law to help a ship in distress.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023