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

For its part, the navy has lagged in arms purchases. —Germán Padinger, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025

Taiwan‘s defense ministry on Wednesday said 77 Chinese military aircraft and 25 navy and coast guard vessels had been operating around the island in the past 24 hours. —Reuters, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025

In photos shared on Instagram, Hannigan and her family posed in front of the tree in matching green and navy plaid Christmas pajamas with their dogs and their gifts. —Meg Walters, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025

Taiwan's defense ministry said 71 Chinese military aircraft and 24 navy and coast guard vessels had been operating around the island on Tuesday. —Yimou Lee, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025

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