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

Defense Minister Wellington Koo earlier noted that China’s navy has remained active in nearby waters, even as military flights have fallen off. —ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026

So their navy has been destroyed. —NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026

The White House has said the objectives of Operation Epic Fury have been to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity and its navy, sever its support for proxies in other countries and ensure Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026

Also, Iran’s navy has lost between 50 and 60 vessels so far. —David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 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