nautical

adjective

nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯ-ti-kəl How to pronounce nautical (audio)
ˈnä-
Synonyms of nautical
: of, relating to, or associated with sailors, navigation, or ships
a dictionary of nautical terms
nautical flags
nautical skills
nautically
ˈnȯ-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce nautical (audio)
ˈnä-
adverb

Synonyms of nautical

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of nautical in a Sentence

a dictionary of nautical terms collected sextants and other antique nautical equipment
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.
For most, this would have sufficed for nautical recreation. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 26 June 2026 Nothing screams summer like nautical stripes. — Genevieve Cepeda, InStyle, 26 June 2026 At fan gatherings, drones are barred within a 1-nautical-mile radius and up to 1,000 feet above ground level. — Reuters, NBC news, 7 July 2026 The waterproof canvases are mounted on wood, available in six sizes and 16 designs ranging from botanical themes to nautical imagery. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nautical

Word History

Etymology

Latin nauticus, from Greek nautikos, from nautēs sailor, from naus ship — more at nave

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nautical was in 1552

Phrases Containing nautical

Rhymes for nautical

See All Rhymes for nautical

Browse Nearby Words

nauther
nautical
nautical astronomy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nautical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nautical. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

nautical

adjective
nau·​ti·​cal ˈnȯt-i-kəl How to pronounce nautical (audio)
ˈnät-
: of or relating to sailors, navigation, or ships
nautically
-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce nautical (audio)
adverb
Etymology

from Latin nauticus "nautical," from Greek nautikos (same meaning), from nautēs "sailor," from naus "ship" — related to astronaut, nausea see Word History at nausea

More from Merriam-Webster on nautical

Nglish: Translation of nautical for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All