naval
Americanadjective
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of or relating to warships.
a naval battle; naval strength.
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of or relating to ships of all kinds.
naval architecture; naval engineer.
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belonging to, pertaining to, or connected with a navy.
naval affairs.
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possessing a navy.
the great naval powers.
adjective
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of, relating to, characteristic of, or having a navy
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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.
Naval Academy graduate, former naval aviator, trans activist and author who is now a resident of Canada — about what she is feeling as the holiday approaches.
From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026
The military said no one was killed at the base, known as Naval Support Activity Bahrain, and that the strikes didn’t significantly impact operations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
The first thing the 1,000 men and women of the United States Naval Academy do, after hearing the artillery fire, is scream, tear off their shirts, and charge toward me.
From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026
Trump said he has also authorized “the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade” on Iranian imports.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026
President Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, visit injured servicemen who have returned from Vietnam for care at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, 1965.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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.
