navy

noun

na·​vy ˈnā-vē 

plural navies

1

: a group of ships : fleet

2

: a nation's ships of war and of logistic support

3

often capitalized : 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

Shop them in 22 colors, including black, navy, brick red, and olive green. —Sanah Faroke, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2024

Garments in dark colors like black, navy, and forest green absorb more of the sun’s UV radiation than light-colored clothes. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 28 May 2024

The country's navy is also believed to have autonomous aquatic robots that can go where humans cannot. —Avi Kumar, Fox News, 26 May 2024

China’s eastern theater command says the air force, navy, and infantry will be involved in the war games, which will last until Friday. —Emily Feng, NPR, 23 May 2024

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

Phrases Containing navy

• master chief petty officer of the navy
• navy bean
• navy blue
• navy yard

Kids Definition

navy

noun

na·​vy ˈnā-vē 

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