navy

American  

[ney-vee] / ˈneɪ vi /

noun

• navies
  plural

1. the whole body of warships and auxiliaries belonging to a country or ruler.

2. (often initial capital letter) the complete body of such warships together with their officers and enlisted personnel, equipment, yards, etc., constituting the sea power of a nation.

3. (often initial capital letter) the department of government charged with its management.

4. navy blue.

5. Archaic. a fleet of ships.

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adjective

1. belonging or connected to a navy; naval.

   navy vessels in the harbor;

   a navy officer with combat experience aboard a submarine.

2. of the color navy blue.

   Either tie will look great with your navy suit.

navy British  

/ ˈneɪvɪ /

noun

1. the warships and auxiliary vessels of a nation or ruler

2. (often capital) the branch of a country's armed services comprising such ships, their crews, and all their supporting services and equipment

3. short for navy blue

4. archaic a fleet of ships

5. ( as modifier )

   a navy custom

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pronavy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• navies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of navy

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English navie, from Middle French, from unattested Vulgar Latin navia, equivalent to Latin nāv(is) “ship” + -ia noun suffix ( see -y ³)

Explanation

A navy is a military force made up of boats and ships that are equipped for defense and fighting. If you always get seasick, you might think about joining an army instead of a navy. During a war, a country's navy does the important job of protecting its shores, as well as attacking the enemy's coasts. A navy is made up of battleships, submarines, and smaller vessels, as well as planes that can land on aircraft carriers or on water. The color that's also called navy, a dark blue, was the original color of the British navy. The Latin root of navy is navis, "ship."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

navy navies

Welsh Fire, Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit and Trent Rockets kept their names and their kits pretty similar, while Southern Brave traded their green and black for navy and red.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

In addition to a metal fence and a floating barrier installed earlier this week, Morocco had dispatched army officers, navy speedboats and drones to the border on Saturday.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

In wartime, the Bali and any other coast guard vessels needed would fall under the command of the navy, according to Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

He said passengers were evacuated on at least three different vessels, including a navy ship and another ferry.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

I would recognize those navy blue wind breakers anywhere.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

But the situation remains volatile and the Europeans want clarity on how a fragile US deal with Iran is panning out before sending in their navies.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

Under Pillar One of the defence pact, nuclear-powered attack submarines would be built in the UK and Australia for use in their navies.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

What’s become apparent, Meade posits, is that control of the oceans through navies is no longer straightforward either.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026

Defense companies and navies, including in the U.S., are experimenting with unmanned technology and artificial intelligence that they believe will provide safer and more effective ways of clearing mines before they can do any damage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

The conquest and administration of this maritime proto-empire were achieved by navies of large canoes, each holding up to 150 men.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond