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territorial waters

[ ter-i-tawr-ee-uhl waw-terz, wot-erz ]
/ ˈtɛr ɪˌtɔr i əl ˈwɔ tərz, ˈwɒt ərz /
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plural noun International Law.
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).Compare high sea (def. 1), marginal sea (def. 2).
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Also called marine belt.

Origin of territorial waters

First recorded in 1870–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use territorial waters in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for territorial waters

territorial waters

pl n
the waters over which a nation exercises jurisdiction and control
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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