Meaning & use
nautical
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Connected with ships, sailors, or sailing on the sea.
Grammar: Usually comes before the noun it describes, as in 'nautical terms'.
Patterns
- nautical terms
- nautical equipment
- nautical theme
The museum has a large collection of nautical instruments.
He wore a nautical striped shirt.
The restaurant is decorated with a nautical theme.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Used for measuring distance at sea, equal to about 1.85 kilometers.
Grammar: Only used in the fixed phrase 'nautical mile'.
Patterns
- nautical mile
The ship was three nautical miles from the coast.
A nautical mile is based on the Earth's circumference.
Common combinations
- nautical mile
- The island is about ten nautical miles away.
- nautical terms
- The manual is full of nautical terms that landlubbers may not know.
- nautical chart
- The captain studied the nautical chart before entering the harbor.
- nautical theme
- The hotel lobby has a nautical theme with ropes and anchors.
Synonyms and how they differ
- maritime
- Maritime is broader and relates to the sea, shipping, or sea trade, while nautical is more about ships and sailing skills.
- naval
- Naval relates specifically to a country's navy and warships, not to sailing in general.
- marine
- Marine can mean relating to the sea or to shipping, but it is also used for sea life; nautical is narrower.
Word family
- nautically adverb
- In a way that relates to ships or sailing.
Commonly confused: nautical or nautical?
nautical vs nautical
Do not confuse with 'nautical' and 'nautical'—they are the same. A common misspelling is 'nautical' as 'nautical'.
Practice
The sailor measured the distance in ___ miles.
Choose one answer.
'Nautical mile' is the fixed term for a unit of distance at sea. 'Naval' relates to the navy, 'marine' to the sea or sea life, and 'maritime' to shipping in general.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nautical”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.