nautical
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nautical
1545–55; < Latin nautic ( us ) pertaining to ships or sailors (< Greek nautikós, equivalent to naû ( s ) ship + -tikos -tic ) + -al 1
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How does nautical compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If it can go to sea, it’s nautical. That is, if it has to do with a boat, ship, sailor, or one of those maps of the ocean that nautical people call a chart, it can be considered nautical. You can wear khakis with sailboats or whales embroidered all over and not be the least bit nautical, but if you know that a rope is called a sheet and that hard to the lee means “duck and move to the other side of the boat,” there’s hope. The most nautical among us know what knot to tie in any given boating situation, which makes them both nautical and “knot-ical.”
Vocabulary lists containing nautical
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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Peter and the Starcatchers
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 30–September 5, 2025
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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.
Analysts at Veson Nautical said Monday that about 189 oil tankers remain stuck in the Persian Gulf, some of them laden with oil.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
At the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, the GB women's quad were chasing a first Olympic title in the event.
From BBC • Jul. 31, 2024
Nautical elements and textured materials also blend with water inspired colors such as blue and green.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 30, 2024
An independent charitable museum of the Nautical Museums Trust.
From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2022
In 1972, in order to both develop and promote marine archaeology, Bass founded the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, the first organization of its kind in the world.
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.
