What does "marine" mean?
A soldier, normally a member of a marine corps, trained to serve on board or from a ship.
Marine
/məˈɹiːn/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A soldier, normally a member of a marine corps, trained to serve on board or from a ship.
- Grammar: marine is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: devil dog, leatherneck, abyssal, aquatic.
- Useful contrasts: limnic, dry land being, freshwater body.
- Usage evidence: Marine plants grow on the sea bed.
How to use "marine"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "marine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "marine" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "marine" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "marine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "marine" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "devil dog" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "marine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A soldier, normally a member of a marine corps, trained to serve on board or from a ship.
"He was a marine in World War II."
- 2 A member of a marine corps.
- 3 a member of the United States Marine Corps wordnet
- 4 A marine corps. capitalized, in-plural
"He fought with the Marines in World War II."
- 5 a soldier who serves both on shipboard and on land wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A painting representing some marine subject.
- 7 Any fleet of ships (commercial, military, or both). archaic
Verb
- 1 To adapt for use in a marine environment.
"The most popular model is the Chrysler 75 marined motor. This motor comes fully marined and fully reconditioned at $ 225 at Oakland."
- 2 To temporarily inundate with water and/or other marine substances.
""And Baptiste? It is there he is. The trunks of Monsieru to the number 12, and let it not loiter. And hey!" she cried with much haughtiness to an interloper who had opened the cab-door and was now officious in the transfer of the luggage, “ And hey, species of calf's head marined in mud, go, I pray you, a little that way and see if I there am.""
- 3 To equip (a boat) with sailors and other personnel required for an ocean voyage.
"And now, having marined this Royal Harry with as large a complement of men as I could muster, shall launch her."
Adjective
- 1 Belonging to or characteristic of the sea; existing or found in the sea; formed or produced by the sea.
"Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field. Dr Mincer and Dr Amaral-Zettler found evidence of them on their marine plastic, too."
- 2 Of, or pertaining to, a marine corps. not-comparable
- 3 Relating to or connected with the sea (in operation, scope, etc.), especially as pertains to shipping, a navy, or naval forces.
- 4 Used or adapted for use at sea.
- 5 Inhabiting the high seas; oceanic; pelagic. (distinguished from maritime or littoral)
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Belonging to or situated at the seaside; maritime. obsolete
Adjective
- 1 native to or inhabiting the sea wordnet
- 2 relating to or characteristic of or occurring on or in the sea wordnet
- 3 of or relating to the sea wordnet
- 4 of or relating to military personnel who serve both on land and at sea (specifically the U.S. Marine Corps) wordnet
- 5 relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Marine plants grow on the sea bed."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "marine"?
Common synonyms include: devil dog, leatherneck, abyssal, aquatic, aquatic animal, aquatic body.
How do you use "marine" in a sentence?
Marine plants grow on the sea bed.
How do you pronounce "marine"?
Pronounced /məˈɹiːn/.
Etymology
Recorded since c.1420 as Middle English marin, borrowed from Middle French marin, from Old French, from Latin marinus (“of the sea”), itself from mare (“sea”), from Proto-Indo-European *móri (“body of water, lake”) (cognate with Old English mere (“sea, lake, pool, pond”), Dutch meer, German Meer, all from Proto-Germanic *mari). The modern pronunciation is presumably due to the influence of modern French marine, feminine singular of marin.