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

China's foreign and defence ministers were in Jakarta Friday for talks with their Indonesian counterparts to seek greater political and military cooperation days after a joint navy drill Taiwan blasted as a "provocation".

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Where Sal, the restaurant, is colorful and eclectic, JNcQUOI Beach Club is outfitted in a sleek palette of navy, natural wood and cream.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 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

Gartshore appeared in court via video link wearing a navy prison uniform.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The Admiralty was the headquarters of the Russian navy, and all along Nevsky Prospect were sailors in uniform.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Rimpac also served as a test bed for allied navies to see how its warships operated in formation with other vessels, unmanned vehicles and jet fighters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

Until three years ago these kinds of incidents had almost disappeared in this area once notorious for hijackings, following a concerted security operation involving several navies.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 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

“In the short term, navies are not expected to escort merchant ships,” Larsen wrote.

From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 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