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

• pronavy
  adjective

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

A £2,495 jewellery box and two tote bags in navy and burgundy were purchased from the same firm for a total of £1,116.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

My supermarket frequently runs 10-for-$10 deals on canned goods, which is essentially my signal to replenish the pantry backbone: black beans, chickpeas, navy beans, diced tomatoes.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

"Over the past 24 hours, 26 vessels -- including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels -- transited the Strait of Hormuz," said the Guards' navy in a post on X.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Dressed in a navy blue suit and flanked by stone-faced Secret Service agents, Harris casually approached a cluster of reporters, one of whom asked enthusiastically, “Madam Vice President, what’d you get?”

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

All through the high-ceilinged electrical room of Central, all I see are girls in black and navy and white, manning their switchboards, doing their jobs.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse