Northwest Passage

American  

noun

1. a ship route along the Arctic coast of Canada and Alaska, joining the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

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Northwest Passage British  

noun

1. the passage by sea from the Atlantic to the Pacific along the N coast of America: attempted for over 300 years by Europeans seeking a short route to the Far East, before being successfully navigated by Amundsen (1903–06)

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Northwest Passage Cultural  

1. A sea route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through northwestern America, often sought by early explorers. There is an actual Northwest Passage, but it requires sailing through far northern waters that are icebound much of the year.

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Etymology

Origin of Northwest Passage

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Northwest Passage

The project sits almost 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle and near the Northwest Passage, a nautical sea route through Canada’s polar region that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Yet, only six commercial cargo vessels completed the full Northwest Passage this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025

Alex says that despite the peril of the journey, he has wanted to traverse the Northwest Passage for a long time.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2024

Alex hopes the data they gather along the Northwest Passage will be significant.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2024

The discovery of the Northwest Passage after centuries of searches was truly a historic achievement.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler