Armada
noun
the fleet sent against England by Philip II of Spain in 1588. It was defeated by the English navy and later dispersed and wrecked by storms.
Armada
American
[ahr-mah-duh, -mey-]
/ ɑrˈmɑ də, -ˈmeɪ- /
noun
-
Also called Invincible Armada. Also called Spanish Armada. the fleet sent against England by Philip II of Spain in 1588. It was defeated by the English navy and later dispersed and wrecked by storms.
-
(lowercase) any fleet of warships.
-
(lowercase) a large group or force of vehicles, airplanes, etc..
an armada of transport trucks.
Armada
1
British
/ ɑːˈmɑːdə /
noun
armada
2
British
/ ɑːˈmɑːdə /
noun
Etymology
Origin of Armada
1525–35; < Spanish < Latin armāta armed forces, neuter plural of armātus (past participle of armāre to equip with arms). See arm 2, -ate 1
Explanation
If an armada is looking for you, that's not good news — it's a fleet of warships. Even though armada sounds a little old-fashioned, they still exist. In fact, some armadas look for pirates — another old-fashioned-sounding group that still exists. Though an armada is part of a navy, armada sounds similar to "army,", and it should: they both come ultimately from the same source, the Latin word armata, "armed." Armies and navies are two of the oldest branches of a military power, and an armada is a military fleet — another word for a group of boats or ships.
Vocabulary lists containing armada
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The two companies are complementary in terms of geography, with Jasa Armada Indonesia in west Indonesia and Pelindo Marine Service across central-eastern Indonesia, which limits overlap.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
The brokerage initiates coverage of Jasa Armada Indonesia with a buy rating and a target price of 420.00 Indonesian rupiah.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
The Barracuda, later renamed the Riptide, in 1995-96, the Breakers in 2001-02 and the Armada in 2005-09.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026
And US-based salvage company Sea Search Armada has taken Colombia to the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration, seeking £7.8bn, over claims it first discovered the vessel more than 40 years ago.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2024
From his position at the point of the Armada, Prince Humperdinck stared up at the Cliffs of Insanity.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
The New Yorker critique of Strangers launched an armada of tweets and thinkpieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
An armada of monster-pirates, the Kakamora — think coconut-flavored Gremlins — are a hectic horde with nice textures when the camera holds on them for longer than two seconds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Even here in the relative safety of Annapolis, Maryland, an advancing armada of amped-up college kids overwhelms me.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
With Rhaenyra’s dragons on their side, the Velaryon armada should have the upper hand.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
If they did, there would probably already be a small armada of Sixer gunships waiting in orbit around the planet when I dropped out of light speed.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
