- present participle of sail.
sailing
Americannoun
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the activity of a person or thing that sails.
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the departure of a ship from port.
The cruise line offers sailings every other day.
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Navigation. any of various methods for determining courses and distances by means of charts or with reference to longitudes and latitudes, rhumb lines, great circles, etc.
noun
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the practice, art, or technique of sailing a vessel
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a method of navigating a vessel
rhumb-line sailing
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an instance of a vessel's leaving a port
scheduled for a midnight sailing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sailing
before 900; Middle English seiling, Old English seglung. See sail, -ing 1
Explanation
The activity or sport of riding in a boat that's propelled by the wind is sailing. If not even the slightest breeze is blowing, it's not a great day for sailing. Sailing can be as simple as jumping aboard a friend's sailboat and taking a ride on a lake. Being in charge of piloting the boat, shifting the sails, and keeping it moving on the water, is also sailing. If you're curious how it's done, you can take sailing lessons!
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.
Now enforcing the blockade, these smaller warships with 300 people aboard are sailing for several months at a time, instead of taking breaks every month or so, some of the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The Senegal Prosperity, run by South Korea’s Sinokor, was hit by three objects while also sailing east of Oman, Marisks said, adding that both vessels were attempting to exit the Persian Gulf.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
The crew of the MV Mercer Street, an oil products carrier sailing off Oman’s coast, heard a loud hum followed by an explosion in the waters behind them early on July 29, 2021.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
"While it seems obvious that ships sailing long distances need repairs, it's simply not easy to demonstrate this," concluded Charrié.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
“We saw a giant sailing ship that flew in the sky!” they boasted.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
