maritime
Americanadjective
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associated with the sea or waterways to the sea in relation to navigation, shipping, etc..
Maritime commerce accounts for trillions of dollars in annual U.S. economic activity.
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of or relating to the sea or waterways to the sea.
maritime resources.
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bordering on the sea.
picturesque maritime towns.
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living near or in the sea.
maritime plants.
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characteristic of a sailor; nautical.
She stands on the foredeck, glad to be wearing her maritime rain gear.
adjective
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of or relating to navigation, shipping, etc; seafaring
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of, relating to, near, or living near the sea
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(of a climate) having small temperature differences between summer and winter; equable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of maritime
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin maritimus “pertaining to the sea,” equivalent to mari- (stem of mare “sea”) + -timus adjective suffix
Explanation
Use maritime to describe anything involving the sea and ships. A maritime museum would probably be located in a coastal town, and stuffed full of historic boats, oars, life preservers, and fishing gear. Maritime comes from the Latin word maritimus, which means "of the sea," so the meaning hasn't evolved much. Whales and dolphins are maritime animals, and according to maritime law, the captain of a ship can marry two people at sea. It's very similar to nautical, except nautical refers to ships, and maritime covers ships and other ocean-related stuff.
Vocabulary lists containing maritime
The Constitution of the United States
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Refugee
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Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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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.
Giant container ships ply sea lanes skirting the archipelago's southern tip, where roughly a third of global maritime trade transits between Asia, Africa, the Gulf and the Red Sea.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
But the standoff at the Strait of Hormuz has led to increased transits of smaller tankers through the canal, according to maritime data-analytics firm Kpler, which measures weekly transits.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
A vessel reportedly operating as a "floating armoury" in the Gulf of Oman has been seized by Iranian military personnel, according to the maritime risk management company Vanguard.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The research firm said in April that it had sent a research analyst to the Strait of Hormuz on a “field trip External link” to gather maritime data.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
As maritime compasses became cheaper and more widely available, instructions on how to make your own would have become increasingly irrelevant.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
