three-mile limit

American  

[three-mahyl lim-it] / ˈθriˌmaɪl ˈlɪm ɪt /

noun

International Law.

1. the limit of the territorial waters of 3 miles (4.8 km), which is included within the jurisdiction of the state or nation possessing the coast.

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three-mile limit British  

noun

1. international law the range of a nation's territorial waters, extending to three nautical miles from shore

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Etymology

Origin of three-mile limit

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

If the field stretches beyond the three-mile limit of state waters, Caelus would need a federal lease to tap those reserves.

From Washington Post • Nov. 18, 2016

Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Virginia are also eager to secure permits and to lease blocks from the federal government in waters beyond the three-mile limit of state control.

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2010

The "defensive sea area"�in which all boats can be hailed�has been extended to the three-mile limit, while patrol craft will be allowed to intercept any suspicious boat as far out as twelve miles.

From Time Magazine Archive

For the crowds that gathered excitedly on waterfront George Washington Avenue to watch the U.S. missile cruiser Little Rock and a destroyer escort patrolling just beyond the three-mile limit, liberty had already arrived.

From Time Magazine Archive

Everything within the three-mile limit of the shore is reserved for Canadian fishermen.

From Commercial Geography A Book for High Schools, Commercial Courses, and Business Colleges by Redway, Jacques W. (Jacques Wardlaw)