admiral

American  

[ad-mer-uhl] / ˈæd mər əl /

noun

1. the commander in chief of a fleet.

2. a naval officer of the highest rank.

3. a naval officer of a high rank: the grades in the U.S. Navy are fleet admiral, admiral, vice-admiral, and rear admiral.

4. Obsolete. the flagship of an admiral.

5. British. a master who directs a fishing fleet.

6. any of several often brightly colored butterflies of the family Nymphalidae, as Vanessa atalanta red admiral.

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admiral British  

/ ˈædmərəl /

noun

1. the supreme commander of a fleet or navy

2. Also called: admiral of the fleet.   fleet admiral.  a naval officer of the highest rank, equivalent to general of the army or field marshal

3. a senior naval officer entitled to fly his own flag See also rear admiral vice admiral

4. the master of a fishing fleet

5. any of various nymphalid butterflies, esp the red admiral or white admiral

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Other Word Forms

• admiralship noun

Etymology

Origin of admiral

1175–1225; Middle English, variant of amiral < Old French < Arabic amīr al commander of the; -d- < Medieval Latin admīrābilis mundī for Arabic amīr al-mu'minīn commander of the faithful; or with replacement of a- ⁵ by ad-, as in administer

Explanation

An admiral is the commander of a fleet. In the navy, admiral is one of the highest ranks. The military is full of rankings, such as captain, private, major, and corporal. Another is admiral, a ranking specific to the navy. While a captain is in charge of one ship, an admiral leads more than one ship: a bunch of ships, which are called a fleet. There are also a few different types of admirals, such as full admiral and vice admiral. Similarly, Battlestar Galactica’s Commander Adama becomes Admiral Adama as a result of leading more than one ship.

Example Sentences

Former US military official William Fallon - a retired US Navy admiral - told the BBC that "time of day" probably worked in the rescue mission's favour.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Carrier deployments during peacetime are typically six months long, with planners allowing for a few months of potential overrun if needed, said Mark Montgomery, a retired rear admiral.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

Critical Metals, a British Virgin Islands-based company developing a rare-earth mine in Greenland, last year appointed a retired four-star general and a retired rear admiral to an advisory board.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Much as she distrusted the admiral, his absence made her feel panicky.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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