adjective
Etymology
Origin of seagoing
Explanation
When something is described as seagoing, it's meant to travel in the ocean. A seagoing vessel might be an ocean liner, a submarine, or even a sturdy rowboat. Your inflatable pool toy is probably not seagoing, but the ferry that takes you to a remote Maine island is. Someone who works on a ship or embarks on an ocean voyage can also be described with this adjective: "My ancestors were all seagoing people, so it makes no sense that I always get seasick on boats."
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.
The port statement said the source of the spill had been stopped and the "directly involved seagoing vessels have been contained for active clean-up operations."
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
Shipping traffic remains throttled in the Strait of Hormuz, a trade route off Iran’s coast that fully a third of the world’s seagoing oil exports traverse in a normal year.
From Slate ● Mar. 11, 2026
The Panama Canal opened in 1914, giving U.S. shipping a big flex in seagoing nimbleness at a moment when Europe was going to war.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2025
Before it was found, there were no known wrecks of seagoing ships dating from the 11th to 14th Centuries in English waters.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2024
Still, the task of making a seagoing clock or watch was far from solved: such a timepiece had to remain accurate despite changes in temperature and humidity, and despite the movement of the waves.
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.
