What does international waters mean?

Definitions for international waters
in·ter·na·tional wa·ters

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word international waters.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. high sea, international watersnoun

    the open seas of the world outside the territorial waters of any nation

ChatGPT

  1. international waters

    International waters or high seas refer to the parts of the ocean that are not under the jurisdiction of any specific country. They are beyond the territorial waters of any nation and are free for use by ships and aircrafts of all countries, subject to certain universal laws and regulations. The concept of international waters is based on the principle of freedom of the seas, meaning no state may claim sovereignty over any part of them.

Wikidata

  1. International waters

    The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems, and wetlands. Oceans, seas, and waters outside of national jurisdiction are also referred to as the high seas or, in Latin, mare liberum. Ships sailing the high seas are generally under the jurisdiction of the flag state; however, when a ship is involved in certain criminal acts, such as piracy, any nation can exercise jurisdiction under the doctrine of universal jurisdiction. International waters can be contrasted with internal waters, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of international waters in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of international waters in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of international waters in a Sentence

  1. Daniel Russel:

    Nobody in their right mind is going to try to stop the U.S. Navy from operating - that would not be a good bet, but it’s not enough that a U.S. military plane can overfly international waters, even if there is challenge or hailing query ... We believe that every country and all civilian actors should have unfettered access to international waters and international airspace.

  2. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu:

    He himself killed, his army killed children in the playground. They killed our citizens and an American citizen in international waters. This is terrorism. Nobody can argue about Israeli aggression in Jerusalem in the al-Aqsa mosque, these provocations create frustration in the Muslim world and are becoming one of the reasons why these radical trends are emerging.

  3. Bob Richards:

    It's not unlike fishing vessels in international waters, they don't own the water ... but they have a right to put nets in the water and put the fish on the decks and once the fish are there, they own the fish.

  4. Defense James Mattis:

    It's international waters, and a lot of nations want to see freedom of navigation.

  5. Gaza Sweden:

    Ship to Gaza Sweden protest against this flagrant abuse of the freedom of navigation, israel's repeated acts of piracy in international waters are worrying signs that the occupation and blockade policy extends to the entire eastern Mediterranean.

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"international waters." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 18 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/international+waters>.

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    a decorative musical accompaniment (often improvised) added above a basic melody
    A caddie
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