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

China said it had taken "necessary measures" to expel the Philippine vessels from its territorial waters.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Russian warships regularly pass through international waters in the Channel, which are separate from UK and French territorial waters.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

On the other side of the strait lie the territorial waters of Oman.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 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

Under bye-laws of these committees steam-trawling has been prohibited in nearly all the territorial waters of England and Wales, and trawling by smaller boats has been placed under a variety of restrictions.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 4 "Finland" to "Fleury, Andre" by Various