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.
Miriam wore a navy-blue task jacket to ward off the loose chill of the morning. — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026 William kept to his own failsafe look, in a navy suit and sky-blue shirt. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Aug. 2026 Over the past decade, Beijing has rapidly expanded its navy by launching modern destroyers, frigates, amphibious assault ships, and aircraft carriers at an unprecedented pace. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026 The navy and green color scheme is incredible and is otherwise completely absent from the visual history of this hockey team. — The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 1 Aug. 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 6 Aug. 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

Nglish: Translation of navy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about navy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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