international waters
international waters — noun
1. Parts of the ocean that lie outside any country's legal control and are managed
Parts of the ocean that lie outside any country's legal control and are managed through rules agreed upon by many nations together.
Gita's fishing vessel entered international waters without asking for permission from any coastal state.
entered + international waters — verb + object
Pirates attacked Felix's cargo ship in international waters near the coast of Somalia.
in international waters — prepositional phrase of location
International waters cover more than half the world's oceans and belong to no single country.
The Japanese navy patrols international waters to stop drug smugglers and illegal fishing boats.
- high seas
a more traditional legal term with a similar meaning; 'high seas' is used in older treaties and formal documents
- open ocean
focuses on the physical geography rather than the legal status; less legal, more general
- territorial waters
sea areas that belong to a specific country and are under its laws
文法句型
in international waters
enter/pass through international waters
用法筆記
Frequently appears without the definite article (❌ the international waters ✅ international waters). Do not confuse with territorial waters, which belong to a specific country.