1
: borne over or on the sea
a seaborne invasion
2
: carried on by oversea shipping
seaborne trade

Examples of seaborne 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.
The Iran War began in February, with US airstrikes on Iran leading to conflicts centering on a part of the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow waterway through which a major share of the world’s seaborne energy trade normally travels. Joshua Hong, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 At the same moment refineries in China are ramping up, very little seaborne oil is moving toward Asia. Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026 That heat is already apparent at the few seaborne data centers now operating. Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026 Between them, Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb normally carry more than a third of the world's seaborne oil trade. Frank Ahrens, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for seaborne

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seaborne was in 1823

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seaborne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seaborne. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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