nave

American  

[nayv] / neɪv /

noun

• naves
  plural

1. the principal longitudinal area of a church, extending from the main entrance or narthex to the chancel, usually flanked by aisles of less height and breadth: generally used only by the congregation.

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nave ¹ British  

/ neɪv /

noun

1. the central space in a church, extending from the narthex to the chancel and often flanked by aisles

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nave ² British  

/ neɪv /

noun

1. the central block or hub of a wheel

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• naves
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of nave

First recorded in 1665–75; from Medieval Latin nāvis, Latin: “ship”; so called from the resemblance in shape

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Explanation

When a bride walks down the aisle in a church, she is walking down the nave, or central area of the church. The word nave comes from the Latin navis, meaning "ship." If you think of the central space of a big Gothic church with its high vaulted ceiling, it does kind of form the shape of a ship, doesn't it? The nave is the area where the congregation sits. It's usually rectangular in shape and filled with rows of benches.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nave naves

That project arguably reached its apotheosis in his 28 frescoes on the life of Francis that run along the nave of the upper church in Assisi.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

In the nave she will swear an oath on the Saint John's Bible, the first time a new bible has been used since 1945, in what is being seen as a reflection of modernisation.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026

For example, archaeologist Cédric Moulis of the University of Lorraine painstakingly reassembled dozens of wedge-shaped stones called voussoirs recovered from the collapsed vaulted ceiling over the nave to glean insights into their mechanical properties.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 5, 2024

A crane hoisted them onto the nave of the cathedral, which was devastated by fire in 2019.

From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2024

Entering the nave, visitors passed by a chapel on the right-hand side that contained the mummified body of Francisco Pizarro, the romantic, thuggish Spaniard who conquered Peru in the sixteenth century.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Looming over the colorless town is its hulking circa-1385 monastery, extended in convent courtyards and stately chapels with lofty naves, offering dazzling displays of stained glass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

I’ve seen party tents double as retail shops, church naves, gymnasiums and outdoor living rooms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2021

The figurines, which will remain in place until January, have been suspended in nets hanging in the tower and naves of St Giles' Parish Church in Wrexham.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2021

The American networks were also largely genial, discussing floral design, Princess Diana, naves and what defines a “morning suit.”

From New York Times ● May 19, 2018

Once in, I paid litde attention to the architecture, although I knew the terms: clerestories and naves were things I’d written papers about.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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Related Words

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