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 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

Its broader objective involves developing a hybrid navy with more operational options. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026

After a consultation with Marchetto, Garnett settled on adding a spattering of dark brown leather floral motifs, to complement the navy and pale blue check. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026

On Monday, Powlis stood before Judge Elizabeth Shamahs with a dispassionate look on his goateed face, dressed in a black fleece, black sweats and navy New Balance sneakers. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026

Tanker owners should take a lesson from the fate of vessels that violate Iran's rules by trying to transit the strait without authorization from Tehran, the report cited the navy as saying. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

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

Rhymes for navy

• gravy
• wavy

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