navy

[ ney-vee ]

noun

, plural na·vies.

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 ( def 1 ).
5. Archaic. a fleet of ships.

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

/ ˈneɪvɪ /

noun

1. the warships and auxiliary vessels of a nation or ruler
2. the navy
   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

Other Words From

• pro·na·vy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of navy¹

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 ( -y ³ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of navy¹

C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin nāvia (unattested) ship, from Latin nāvis ship

Example Sentences

With the character’s green skin shrouded under shades of navy color grading, it’s almost impossible to see Erivo emote in scenes where it counts the most.

From Salon

Given it has the world’s largest army and navy, Washington is now concerned that the country is building a bigger nuclear arsenal.

From BBC

Through the window of an upper floor office in West Hollywood, the sky changed from cyan to navy and then indigo blue.

From Los Angeles Times

The country’s national security adviser, its coastguard chief and the head of the police helicopter squadron are all Indian nationals and officers in India's external intelligence agency, navy and air force, respectively.

From BBC

China now has a larger navy than the US.

From BBC