seawater: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumNeutral to technical
Quick answer
What does “seawater” mean?
The salt water that fills the oceans and seas.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The salt water that fills the oceans and seas.
Water from the sea, used in specific contexts such as desalination, aquarium maintenance, industrial cooling, or as a source of minerals.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: British English sometimes uses a hyphen ('sea-water'), but 'seawater' is common in both. No difference in usage.
Connotations
Neutral and factual in both.
Frequency
Slightly more common in technical/scientific contexts in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “seawater” in a Sentence
N + V (seawater evaporates)Adj + N (brackish seawater)N + of + N (a sample of seawater)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “seawater” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [No standard verb form]
- [No standard verb form]
American English
- [No standard verb form]
- [No standard verb form]
adverb
British English
- [No adverb form]
- [No adverb form]
American English
- [No adverb form]
- [No adverb form]
adjective
British English
- [Attributive use only] The seawater sample was analysed.
- They studied seawater chemistry.
American English
- [Attributive use only] The seawater intake pipe was clogged.
- Seawater corrosion is a major issue.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In industries like desalination plant operation, maritime engineering, or salt production.
Academic
Common in geology, oceanography, chemistry, and environmental science papers.
Everyday
Discussing the sea, swimming, or home aquariums (for marine fish).
Technical
Specifying the saline medium in engineering, aquaculture, or chemical processes.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “seawater”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “seawater”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “seawater”
- Misspelling as 'sea water' (though sometimes accepted) or 'see water'.
- Using interchangeably with 'saltwater' in precise scientific contexts where origin matters.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In everyday language, often yes. Technically, 'seawater' specifically comes from the sea/ocean, while 'salt water' can be any water containing salt (e.g., a saltwater lake, a manufactured solution).
Yes, but only attributively (before a noun), e.g., 'seawater aquarium', 'seawater pipeline'. It is not a predicative adjective (you wouldn't say 'The water is seawater').
The most direct opposite is 'freshwater', which has a very low concentration of dissolved salts.
It is a vast resource for drinking water (via desalination), minerals (like magnesium, lithium), and cooling. Its properties (corrosiveness, density, freezing point) are critical for marine engineering and climate science.
The salt water that fills the oceans and seas.
Seawater is usually neutral to technical in register.
Seawater: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsiːˌwɔːtə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsiˌwɔːtər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly with 'seawater'; related: 'a drop in the ocean']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SEA + WATER. It's literally the water from the sea.
Conceptual Metaphor
Seawater as a resource / a problem (intrusion) / a chemical solution.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'seawater' most precisely used?