territorial waters: Meaning and Definition of

territo'rial wa'ters

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the waters of a littoral state that are regarded as under the jurisdiction of the state: traditionally those waters within three miles (4.8 km) of the shore, but in the 20th century claims by coastal nations have extended to 12 or even 200 miles (19.3 or 321.8 km). Also calledCf.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.