naval

[ ney-vuh l ]

/ ˈneɪ vəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR naval ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to warships: a naval battle; naval strength.

of or relating to ships of all kinds: naval architecture; naval engineer.

belonging to, pertaining to, or connected with a navy: naval affairs.

possessing a navy: the great naval powers.

Nearby words

navaho, navaid, navajo, navajo mountain, navajos, naval, naval academy, naval architecture, naval brass, naval mine, naval observatory

Origin of naval

1585–95; < Latin nāvālis, equivalent to nāv(is) ship + -ālis -al¹

Related forms

na·val·ly, adverbnon·na·val, adjectivepre·na·val, adjectivepro·na·val, adjective

Can be confused

knave naval nave (see synonym study at knave)naval navelnaval nautical

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for naval

Editor's Note: This story had been amended to clarify Jeffrey Wright's Naval service.
The Navy ‘Hero’ Who Pimped an HIV-Positive Teen|M.L. Nestel|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, there has been a lot of work done since the report was released, the naval architect said.
Can the Navy's $12 Billion Stealth Destroyer Stay Afloat?|Dave Majumdar|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“This is an area that the Navy is taking seriously,” one naval architect familiar with the design told The Daily Beast.
Can the Navy's $12 Billion Stealth Destroyer Stay Afloat?|Dave Majumdar|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She entered into the Naval Reserve of the Royal Canadian Navy at 17 while still in high school.
The Making of Kiesza: From Navy Sharpshooter to Beauty Queen to Pop Diva|Marlow Stern|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Churchill welcomed the approach and immediately continued the exchanges using the code name “naval person.”
Blood and War: The Hard Truth About ‘Boots on the Ground’|Clive Irving|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One hundred and eight persons were killed and ninety-two wounded, most of them members of the English naval service.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VII (of VIII)|Various
The naval officer was there because the hour of the midday meal on board the cruiser did not coincide with lunch time on shore.
A Rock in the Baltic|Robert Barr
In 1911 naval policy was, for the first time, one of the vexed questions in a general election.
All Afloat|William Wood
The month of May, 1915, saw new characters enter the theatres of naval warfare.
The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of VIII)|Various
It was soon evident to the Australians that this was intended to be a German naval station and military post of great importance.
"Over There" with the Australians|R. Hugh Knyvett

British Dictionary definitions for naval

naval

/ (ˈneɪvəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, characteristic of, or having a navy

of or relating to ships; nautical

Word Origin for naval

C16: from Latin nāvālis, from nāvis ship; related to Greek naus, Old Norse nōr ship, Sanskrit nau

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012