high seas

plural noun

1. sometimes singular the open seas of the world, outside the jurisdiction of any one nation

Idioms and Phrases

Open waters of an ocean or sea, beyond the territorial jurisdiction of a country. For example, Commercial fishermen are being forced to go out on the high seas in order to make a living . [c. 1100]

Example Sentences

Passengers who spent the night on board described the mood as positive - despite not hitting the high seas just yet.

From BBC

It achieved its dominance on the high seas — beyond any country’s jurisdiction — with more than 6,000 distant-water ships, more than triple the size of the next largest national fleet.

From Los Angeles Times

"No one had ever considered that the Indigenous people of Oceania have a connection and relationship to what they’re calling the high seas."

From Salon

The U.S. military built a pier into Gaza’s coast, but it has been plagued by high seas and other problems that have limited its use for delivering aid.

From Los Angeles Times

Flying to the Argentine coastal city of Puerto Madryn, I linked up with the Darwin 200 Initiative, a scientific expedition on the high seas.

From Salon