the high seas
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The open sea, the "main"; especially that part of the sea beyond "the three-mile limit,'* which forms a free highway to all nations.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the high seas” mean?
The open sea, the "main"; especially that part of the sea beyond "the three-mile limit,'* which forms a free highway to all nations.
Is “the high seas” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.