the largest organized unit of naval ships grouped for tactical or other purposes.
the largest organization of warships under the command of a single officer.
a number of naval vessels or vessels carrying armed crew members.
a large group of ships, airplanes, trucks, etc., operated by a single company or under the same ownership.
He owns a fleet of cabs.
a large group of airplanes, automobiles, etc., moving or operating together.
an arm of the sea; inlet.
a creek; stream; watercourse.
the Fleet, a former prison in London, long used for debtors.
rapid in movement; swift
poetic fleeting; transient
(intr) to move rapidly
archaic (intr) to fade away smoothly; glide
(tr) nautical
to change the position of (a hawser)
to pass (a messenger or lead) to a hawser from a winch for hauling in
to spread apart (the blocks of a tackle)
obsolete (intr) to float or swim
obsolete (tr) to cause (time) to pass rapidly
a number of warships organized as a tactical unit
all the warships of a nation
a number of aircraft, ships, buses, etc, operating together or under the same ownership
a stream that formerly ran into the Thames between Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street and is now a covered sewer
Also called: Fleet Prison. (formerly) a London prison, esp used for holding debtors
First recorded before 1000; Middle English flete, fleot(e), Old English flēot “bay, estuary; boat,” derivative of flēotan float ( def. ); cf. fleet 2
First recorded in 1520–30; probably from or akin to Old Norse fljótr “quick, speedy”
First recorded before 900; Middle English flete, Old English flēot “flowing water”; cognate with German Fliess “brook”; fleet 3 def. 3 is so called after the Fleet a stream, later covered and used as a sewer, near which the prison was located; fleet 1 ( def. )
A fleet is usually a large group of ships, but it can be any group of vessels like planes or cars that operate as a unit. A naval fleet is the largest formation of warships. A naval fleet at sea is like an army on land. One meaning of fleet comes from the Old English fleot, meaning “ship,” “raft,” or “floating vessel.” Although a fleet is usually a group of ships or airplanes operating under the same ownership, any group of vessels sailing together can be called a fleet, even you and your friends in a fleet of kayaks. Another meaning of fleet originates in the Old English flēotan, which means “moving swiftly.” When it’s used in that way, it’s usually in the -ing form, fleeting.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A specially modified Airbus A350 plane touched down in France Tuesday after a record 24-hour test flight from Australia, ahead of it joining Qantas's fleet next year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Waymo leads the way with more than 300 robotaxis in Austin, nearly half its Texas fleet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
They point to increased premiumization, lower density craft, greater fleet flexibility, and improved network economics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
An EMR spokesperson said any suggestion that the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet did not meet the required safety standards was "incorrect", and added it continued "to engage in discussions with RMT regarding this dispute".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Then another typhoon struck, again destroying most of the Mongolian fleet.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Two more ministers also announced they were stepping down on Wednesday, Natalie Fleet and Mary Creagh.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Fleet sales were also strong, supported by robust demand from commercial and government customers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Mikhail Zvinchuk, author of the Telegram channel "Rybar" pointed out that the Black Sea Fleet had "now shut itself in at Novorossiysk".
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
“We keep a Fifth Fleet headquarters there, and the question is probably not does that go away, but what does it look like when this is over?” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
He began with the departure from Troy and the storm that struck the Fleet.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
“Drive My Car” is a three-hour drama that seems lighter and fleeter than some two-hour ones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2022
Some tempos, freshly rethought, were fleeter than you usually hear; other passages were nobly expansive.
From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2015
Something kind of similar is happening in the fleeter, more escapist Arrow and The Flash, two ongoing series on the CW based on DC Comics characters.
From Slate ● Mar. 9, 2015
Tendulkar, still fleeter of foot than some of his peers, was the man in fruitless pursuit.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 21, 2011
A Fawn once said to a Stag: "Father, you are larger and fleeter than the dogs, and, besides, you have huge antlers for defence; why, then, are you so afraid of the dogs?"
From Fables for Children, Stories for Children, Natural Science Stories, Popular Education, Decembrists, Moral Tales by Tolstoy, Leo, graf
The stagecraft by which customers who just a minute ago were getting the closest of shaves are removed isn’t the fleetest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2019
This is the fleetest, funniest and — in keeping with its adolescent protagonist — most sophomoric of the volumes translated into English thus far.
From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2015
"I'm not the fleetest of foot but I was just fast enough to get there."
From Reuters ● Oct. 16, 2015
Thirty-four of the planet’s fleetest of foot - 20 men and 14 women from the United States and eight other countries - are in the hunt.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 19, 2015
"Who here has the fleetest horse?" he demanded.
From The Childhood of King Erik Menved An Historical Romance by Ingemann, Bernhard Severin
For Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg, a new aircraft is not the priority for airlines, insisting that they are looking for better performance from existing fleets and, crucially, more reliable and durable engines.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
McMahon also cites a study that found a 20% crash reduction in commercial fleets using telematics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Buying equity stakes rather than owning depreciating fleets softens that, but the line between “demand layer” and “co-investor in hardware” thins with each deal.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
After reviewing the histories of Boeing's 757, 767, 777, 787 and 737 Max fleets - more than 400 million flight hours - he found no case in which a switch failure shut down an engine.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Seven of those fleets sailed from China between A.D.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Another day of hiding and a night of journey had fleeted by.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
The dodo will be seen no more; the race has fleeted away.
From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by Rameur, E.
They had been full and busy years; and Constance was satisfied with the years that had fleeted by, only she was distressed that it all went so fast and that she would be old before....
From Dr. Adriaan by Couperus, Louis
Like gentle ghosts they fleeted along with little more than a muffled sound, for their axles turned in ball-sockets and their warning bells were silent save when touched.
From Dusty Diamonds Cut and Polished A Tale of City Arab Life and Adventure by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)
Excited by the thousand novel and dazzling objects, the hours fleeted away like minutes; and it was late before they had executed or even formed any plans.
From Graham's Magazine Vol XXXII No. 1 January 1848 by Conrad, Robert Taylor
Nawaz said the US-Pakistan relationship would need such headwinds addressed to move past reliance on the possibly fleeting bonhomie of its leaders.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“It’s a fleeting thrill,” said Gordon at Schwab about chips stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
“Night Nurse” is as flirty and fleeting as a high school crush — intense enough to make an impact but staked more on possibility than actual sensation.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
For a fleeting few years before Prigozhin’s death, Wagner was a powerhouse in Africa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Ekman calls that kind of fleeting look a micro expression, which is a very particular and critical kind of facial expression.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
