marginal sea

[ mahr-juh-nl see ]

noun

1. Oceanography. a division of an ocean that lies along a continental edge and is partially separated from the open ocean by islands, peninsulas, land ridges, etc.: for example, the Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Philippine Sea, and Bay of Bengal.
2. International Law. a coastal body of water regarded in connection with the territorial waters of a state or nation, in that the territorial waters include a designated portion of it.

Word History and Origins

Origin of marginal sea¹

First recorded in 1805–10