admiral
Americannoun
-
admirals
plural
-
the commander in chief of a fleet.
-
a naval officer of the highest rank.
-
a naval officer of a high rank: the grades in the U.S. Navy are fleet admiral, admiral, vice-admiral, and rear admiral.
-
Obsolete. the flagship of an admiral.
-
British. a master who directs a fishing fleet.
-
any of several often brightly colored butterflies of the family Nymphalidae, as Vanessa atalanta red admiral.
noun
-
the supreme commander of a fleet or navy
-
Also called: admiral of the fleet, fleet admiral. a naval officer of the highest rank, equivalent to general of the army or field marshal
-
a senior naval officer entitled to fly his own flag See also rear admiral vice admiral
-
the master of a fishing fleet
-
any of various nymphalid butterflies, esp the red admiral or white admiral
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of admiral
1175–1225; Middle English, variant of amiral < Old French < Arabic amīr al commander of the; -d- < Medieval Latin admīrābilis mundī for Arabic amīr al-mu'minīn commander of the faithful; or with replacement of a- 5 by ad-, as in administer
Explanation
An admiral is the commander of a fleet. In the navy, admiral is one of the highest ranks. The military is full of rankings, such as captain, private, major, and corporal. Another is admiral, a ranking specific to the navy. While a captain is in charge of one ship, an admiral leads more than one ship: a bunch of ships, which are called a fleet. There are also a few different types of admirals, such as full admiral and vice admiral. Similarly, Battlestar Galactica’s Commander Adama becomes Admiral Adama as a result of leading more than one ship.
Vocabulary lists containing admiral
English Words Derived from Arabic
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 4: Powerful Openings
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
James and the Giant Peach
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
While Heavy D’s episode “On a Deadman’s Chest” did air in June of 1992, the Crypt Keeper’s first hip-hop foray was helmed by an admiral in the Rhythm Nation, Chuckii Booker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Fifield was wrapping up a high-profile prosecution of a retired Navy admiral who traded a government contract for a future job.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
In Cornwall, the red admiral took second spot, followed by the painted lady.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Known for his signature "cop" and "admiral" stage personas, Willis left the group in 1980.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
During the meal, Lady Constance made bright, careless remarks about shopping and the weather, and the admiral told manly tales of exploration and danger in distant lands.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
A group of 72 retired US generals, admirals, and other high-ranking military officers are pressing the US government to cancel plans to livestream an execution by firing squad.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that the United States has slashed the number of its generals and admirals by 20 percent, in a move he said is aimed at "accountability."
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
By one account, he has blocked the advancement of more than 80 generals and admirals.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
The changing-of-command ceremony was memorable, including 17-gun salutes for each of the outgoing and incoming admirals and a 19-gun salute for my new friend, the CNO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The admirals, heavy with responsibility, paced their quarter-decks with ponderous tread.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
