navy

noun

na·​vy ˈnā-vē How to pronounce navy (audio)
plural navies
Synonyms of navynext
1
: a group of ships : fleet
2
: a nation's ships of war and of logistic support
3
often Navy : the complete naval establishment of a nation including yards, stations, ships, and personnel
4
: a dark grayish purplish blue

Examples of navy in a Sentence

A similar submarine is used by several foreign navies. a career in the navy The shirt comes in black, white, and navy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And Washington must lean into a role as military integrator, smoothing out communication and coordination at sea for navies not used to dynamic multimember missions. — Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026 Kyiv’s use of unmanned boats shows how low-cost weapons can threaten a stronger navy. — Matt Reisener, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026 But obviously, oceans only protect you with navies that serve to defend them. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026 The exercise took place in the northern Cretan Sea and brought together a wide range of Greek naval assets, air platforms and Israeli missile boats to demonstrate operational readiness and strengthen interoperability between the two navies. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for navy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English navie, from Anglo-French, from Latin navigia ships, from navigare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of navy was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing navy

Rhymes for navy

See All Rhymes for navy

Browse Nearby Words

navvy
navy
navy agent
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Navy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/navy. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

navy

noun
na·​vy ˈnā-vē How to pronounce navy (audio)
plural navies
1
: a fleet of ships
2
: a nation's warships
3
often capitalized : a nation's complete equipment and organization for sea warfare
4
: a dark purplish blue

More from Merriam-Webster on navy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for navy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about navy

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