admiralty

noun

ad·mi·ral·ty ˈad-m(ə-)rəl-tē

Synonyms of admiralty

Admiralty : the executive department or officers formerly having general authority over British naval affairs

: the court having jurisdiction over questions of maritime law

also : the system of law administered by admiralty courts

Examples of admiralty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Armed with that information, the team examined the admiralty charts in the area and scanned the seabed in the local area in attempt to find the ship. — Issy Ronald, CNN, 16 Aug. 2024 But the judge questioned whether Congress can strip courts of their own admiralty jurisdiction over a shipwreck, something that has centuries of legal precedent. — CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 Lawrence Brennan, a longtime admiralty lawyer based in New Jersey, said these kinds of legal battles are not uncommon or even unprecedented. — Michael Kunzelman, arkansasonline.com, 21 June 2024 By 1776, the word carried a decade of argument over consent, customs duties, officers, admiralty courts, and judicial salaries. — Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for admiralty

Word History

Etymology

Middle English admiralte, ameralte "office or jurisdiction of an admiral," borrowed from Anglo-French admiralté, amiralté from admiral, amiral admiral + -té -ty

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of admiralty was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Admiralty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/admiralty. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

admiralty

1 of 2 noun

: a group of officials formerly in charge of the British navy

: the court having authority over questions of maritime law

also : the system of law administered by admiralty courts

admiralty

2 of 2 adjective

ad·mi·ral·ty

ˈad-mə-rəl-tē,

-mrəl-

: of or relating to conduct on the sea

Legal Definition

admiralty

noun

ad·mi·ral·ty ˈad-mə-rəl-tē

: the court having jurisdiction over questions of maritime law

also : maritime law

admiralty

noun

Examples of admiralty in a Sentence

Word History

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Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition

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