marina

marina — noun

1. a small harbour built for people who keep recreational vessels such as sailing y

1.nounB1
Definition

a small harbour built for people who keep recreational vessels such as sailing yachts and motor cruisers, usually offering services like fuel, repairs, and places to eat or shop

Example

Sayaka keeps her family's sailing boat at the marina near the old bridge.

keeps [possession] at the marina

Emre and Zuri walked along the marina every Sunday, looking at the yachts.

walked along the marina

Common collocations
  • at the marina
  • marina berth
  • marina facilities
  • keep a boat at a marina
  • walk along the marina
Synonyms
  • harbour

    a broader term for any sheltered body of water for boats; a marina is a specific type of harbour with recreational facilities

  • dock

    more common in American English, can refer to a single pier; a marina is a whole facility with multiple berths and services

  • boatyard

    focuses on storage and repair of boats, often without the restaurants and shops found at a marina

Usage Note

Countable noun. Frequently used with the prepositions 'at' (e.g., 'at the marina') to indicate location, and 'into' to indicate entry. A marina is distinct from a regular harbour or port because it is designed and equipped for recreational boats rather than commercial shipping.

Common Mistakes

We took the passenger ferry from the marina.
We took the passenger ferry from the port.
A marina is for small pleasure boats and yachts, not for large passenger ferries or cargo ships.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While a harbour (or harbor) is any sheltered stretch of water where boats and ships can moor, a marina is a purpose-built facility for recreational boating that typically includes services like fuel, repairs, restaurants, and shops. A port is much larger and handles commercial shipping, cargo, and passenger ferries — you would never take a cruise ship into a small marina. A dock is often a single platform or pier where boats load or unload, and does not imply the range of amenities a marina offers. A boatyard, by contrast, specialises in storing and repairing boats on land, with few or none of the waterfront leisure facilities. For example: 'The family spent the afternoon at the marina café watching the boats' vs. 'The cargo ship entered the busy port of Kaohsiung.'

harbour ↗dock ↗port ↗boatyard

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • live-aboard marina
  • dry-stack marina
  • marina operator
  • marina manager

Prepositions

Etymology

ItalianLatinEnglish

Borrowed from Italian 'marina', meaning 'seaside' or 'shore', which comes from Latin 'marinus' ('of the sea'), itself from 'mare' ('sea'). The word entered English in the mid-19th century, first used for a seaside resort area and later taking on its current meaning of a harbour for pleasure boats.