territorial waters

American  

[ter-i-tawr-ee-uhl waw-terz, wot-erz] / ˈtɛr ɪˌtɔr i əl ˈwɔ tərz, ˈwɒt ərz /

plural noun

International Law.

1. the waters of a coastal state or nation that are regarded as under the jurisdiction of the state or nation, traditionally within 3 miles (4.8 km) of the shore, but with claims by certain coastal nations that have extended to 12 or even 200 miles (20 or 322 km).

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territorial waters British  

plural noun

1. the waters over which a nation exercises jurisdiction and control

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Etymology

Origin of territorial waters

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

territorial waters

Iran sends its oil to an area known as the Eastern Outer Port Limits, outside the territorial waters of Malaysia, a rough midpoint between Iran and China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

At the narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes lie entirely within Iran and Oman's territorial waters.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The strait comprises Omani and Iranian territorial waters, but under customary international law the two cannot generally block passage or charge tolls.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

The incident happened around 20 nautical miles - around 23 standard miles - south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

When France pleaded her innocence at Madagascar on the pretext that the fleet was outside the territorial waters of France, Japan, relying on incontestable proof to the contrary, remonstrated.

From A Fantasy of Far Japan Summer Dream Dialogues by Baron Kencho Suyematsu