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

Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned ‌the most recent Kuwaiti arrest, saying the four Iranians were on a routine maritime patrol when they entered Kuwaiti territorial waters due ‌to “disruption ⁠in their navigation.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Greek military experts will look at establishing the drone's possible purpose and whether it ended up in Greek territorial waters owing to a technical failure, or the loss of communication with its control centre.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

The U.S.-proposed route goes through Oman’s territorial waters and is located south of the Traffic Separation Scheme.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

The transfers often happen outside Malaysia’s territorial waters, where its jurisdiction and capacity for enforcement are limited.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

In 2005, exploitable oil and natural gas deposits were found beneath Cambodia's territorial waters, representing a new revenue stream for the government if commercial extraction begins.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency