yacht

American  

[yot] / yɒt /

noun

1. a vessel used for private cruising, racing, or other noncommercial purposes.

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verb (used without object)

1. to sail, voyage, or race in a yacht.

yacht British  

/ jɒt /

noun

1. a vessel propelled by sail or power, used esp for pleasure cruising, racing, etc

2. short for sand yacht ice yacht

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verb

1. (intr) to sail or cruise in a yacht

Other Word Forms

• superyacht noun
• yachty adjective

Etymology

Origin of yacht

1550–60; < early Dutch jaght, short for jaghtschip hunting ship, equivalent to Dutch jacht hunt (derivative of jagen to hunt) + schip ship ¹

Compare meaning

How does yacht compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• yacht vs. sailboat

Example Sentences

Today both songs are regarded as key examples of the style that became known retroactively as yacht rock; on Spotify, each has more than 120 million streams.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

A day before that, he went out on a yacht with a group of people.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Investigators have served warrants in Marina del Rey for a yacht and storage unit connected to a man who served in the U.S. military and worked in the movie business.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Last October major luxury yacht maker Sunreef Yachts, based in Poland and Dubai, announced it was transitioning away from teak decking altogether.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

“Does that mean we are better than anyone else? No. But we should not be penalized because we cannot get into the old yacht club.”

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• racer
• sailboat
• sloop