seafarer

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/ˈsiˌfɛɹɚ/US/ˈsiˌfeɹɚ/US/-fɛəɹɚ/

noun

Someone whose occupation is operating a ship or boat at sea, for either civilian or military purposes.

“An intergovernmental panel will draw up plans to relieve seafarers who have been stuck at sea during a crisis.”

Similar
marinerseamansailortarJack-tarJackold saltgob
OriginMiddle English *se-farere →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounseafarer (plural seafarers)

plural seafarers

  1. Someone whose occupation is operating a ship or boat at sea, for either civilian or military purposes.

    An intergovernmental panel will draw up plans to relieve seafarers who have been stuck at sea during a crisis.

    Synonyms: mariner, seaman, sailor

  2. Anyone who travels by sea.

    Clearly the earliest Australians were seafarers who landed there tens of thousands of years ago; our quest to know more about them — did they come from Melanesia? what kind of boats did they have? were they blown out to sea by a storm? — is ongoing.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSomeone whose occupation is operating a ship or boat at sea, for either civilian or military purposes.

Similar
marinerseamansailor

More synonyms by meaning

nouna man who serves as a sailor

Similar
marinerseamantarJack-tarJackold saltgobsea dog
Broader
sailormanadult male
Also see
gobjackmarinerneptunianold saltsailorseagoerseamantar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle English*se-farere
  2. Englishseafarer

From Middle English *se-farere (suggested by se-farende, sa farinde (“sea-faring”)) equivalent to sea + farer (“traveler”) and to seafare + -er. Cognate with Middle Dutch seevarer, whence Modern Dutch zeevaarder (“seafarer”), West Frisian seefarder (“seafarer”), German Seefahrer (“seafarer”), Swedish sjöfarare (“seafarer”).

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian мореплава́тел, мореплава́телка
  • мореплава́тел (moreplavátel)one who travels by sea
  • мореплава́телка (moreplavátelka)one who travels by sea
Chinese Mandarin 航海家
  • 航海家 (hánghǎijiā)one who travels by sea
Czech mořeplavec, námořník
  • mořeplavecone who travels by sea
  • námořníkone who travels by sea
Danish søfarer
  • søfarerone who travels by sea
Dutch zeevaarder
  • zeevaarderone who travels by sea
Finnish merenkulkija
  • merenkulkijaone who travels by sea
French marin
  • marinone who travels by sea
German Seefahrer
  • Seefahrerone who travels by sea
Italian marittimo
  • marittimoone who travels by sea
Japanese 船乗り
  • 船乗り (funanori)one who travels by sea
Korean 뱃사람
  • 뱃사람 (baetsaram)one who travels by sea
Malay pelaut
  • pelautone who travels by sea
Norwegian Bokmål sjøfarer
  • sjøfarerone who travels by sea
Polish żeglarz, żeglarka
  • żeglarzone who travels by sea
  • żeglarkaone who travels by sea
Portuguese navegante
  • naveganteone who travels by sea
Russian морепла́ватель, моря́к
  • морепла́ватель (moreplávatelʹ)one who travels by sea
  • моря́к (morják)one who travels by sea
  • морепла́вательница (moreplávatelʹnica)one who travels by sea
Slovak moreplavec, námorník
  • moreplavecone who travels by sea
  • námorníkone who travels by sea
Spanish marinero
  • marineroone who travels by sea
Swedish sjöfarare
  • sjöfarareone who travels by sea
Ukrainian морепла́вець, моря́к
  • морепла́вець (moreplávecʹ)one who travels by sea
  • моря́к (morják)one who travels by sea
  • морепла́виця (moreplávycja)one who travels by sea
Welsh morwr
  • morwrone who travels by sea
Cite this entry
APA

seafarer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seafarer

MLA

“seafarer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seafarer. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “seafarer,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seafarer.

Source: seafarer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.