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.
Sato told the news outlet he was now staying with a relative and, despite his recent misadventure, was planning his next sailing trip, to the Philippines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Seafarers should not be forced or compelled to endanger their lives by sailing through conflict zones. Nor should they face the risk of reprisal by shipowners if they decline these assignments," said Mantoo.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The state-run Saudi Press Agency confirmed early on Thursday that the Encelia was struck "while sailing in the Red Sea", resulting in a fire on its bow.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Some ships, such as the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely and Panama-flagged crude oil tanker Kiku, continued sailing after being hit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
“The airport’s just past the sailing school—you can see the little boats now.”
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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.
