naval
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to warships.
a naval battle; naval strength.
-
of or relating to ships of all kinds.
naval architecture; naval engineer.
-
belonging to, pertaining to, or connected with a navy.
naval affairs.
-
possessing a navy.
the great naval powers.
adjective
-
of, relating to, characteristic of, or having a navy
-
of or relating to ships; nautical
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of naval
First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin nāvālis, equivalent to nāv(is) “ship” + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Naval means "about a navy or navies." If you are interested in naval history, you probably enjoy seeing ships used in sea battles. Naval comes from the Latin word for ship, navis. Use the adjective naval whenever you're discussing a country's fleet of ships, especially ships intended for use during wartime. You might talk about a naval officer or a naval base, where ships are kept and naval personnel live. It's easy to confuse naval with its homophone navel, the belly button.
Vocabulary lists containing naval
Commonly Confused Words, List 2
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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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.
Eight of 12 crew members are missing after a tanker caught fire off Romania's coast, naval authorities say, and there are reports of explosions on board.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Patrick Hannifin, now a three-star admiral in charge of naval forces in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, told Trump that while steam is reliable now, he preferred electromagnetic catapults.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The U.S. naval blockade of Iran remains in place, with roughly a dozen Navy ships in the region, The Wall Street Journal reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
“Lincoln Nation conducted major combat operations, enforced naval blockade and demonstrated the presence and power of the carrier strike group and multiple numbered fleets, all while keeping up unprecedented operational tempo.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
There is word of a massive naval evacuation and we are preparing at the port.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
