merchant marine
noun
1
: the privately or publicly owned commercial ships of a nation
2
: the personnel of a merchant marine
specifically
: a member of a merchant marine
merchant mariner
noun
Jeff Moore, 32, a John Deere salesman whose brother is a merchant mariner and whose father is first mate on a tugboat, keeps a journal of each exploration.
—
Pam Belluck
Pam Belluck
Examples of merchant marine in a Sentence
a member of the merchant marine
Recent Examples on the Web
In the midst of World War II, the Sheen family gained a contract with the military to put their sealant on merchant marine ships leaving the United States.
—Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 27 June 2024
In 1950, the U.S. merchant marine fleet accounted for 43 percent of global shipping; by 1994, that share had dropped to four percent, despite a 1920 law requiring ships passing between U.S. ports to be built and registered in the United States and operated by a crew of mostly U.S. citizens.
—Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
The law was first intended to aid US merchant marines and ensure American shipowners could compete equally with those from leading seafaring nations like Great Britain.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
The bronze sculpture, which was unveiled in 1991, is based on an historical event that took place during World War II when a Nazi U-boat attacked a merchant marine vessel, and as the victims grasped to their sinking boat in an attempt to save their lives, their German opponents photographed them.
—Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for merchant marine 
Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 27 June 2024
In 1950, the U.S. merchant marine fleet accounted for 43 percent of global shipping; by 1994, that share had dropped to four percent, despite a 1920 law requiring ships passing between U.S. ports to be built and registered in the United States and operated by a crew of mostly U.S. citizens.
—Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
The law was first intended to aid US merchant marines and ensure American shipowners could compete equally with those from leading seafaring nations like Great Britain.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
The bronze sculpture, which was unveiled in 1991, is based on an historical event that took place during World War II when a Nazi U-boat attacked a merchant marine vessel, and as the victims grasped to their sinking boat in an attempt to save their lives, their German opponents photographed them.
—Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for merchant marine
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'merchant marine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near merchant marine
Cite this Entry
“Merchant marine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merchant%20marine. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share