territorial waters

plural noun

: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters

Examples of territorial waters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Newsweek's map shows that the Chinese flotilla, which has remained outside Australia's territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles from its shores during the deployment, departed from the country's 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025 The Chinese ships were still outside the Australian territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles from its shores. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025 The landing platform was located 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) from the nearest point of land, within Bahamian territorial waters. Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2025 Trump’s executive order didn’t include the whole gulf, only the parts in U.S. territorial waters. Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for territorial waters

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of territorial waters was in 1841

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Territorial waters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial%20waters. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Legal Definition

territorial waters

noun plural
territorial wa·​ters
: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters

More from Merriam-Webster on territorial waters

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