What does "navy" mean?
A country's entire maritime military force, including ships and personnel.
Navy
/ˈneɪvi/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A country's entire maritime military force, including ships and personnel.
- Grammar: navy is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: dark blue, naval forces, navy blue, argosy.
- Useful contrasts: air force, airforce, army.
- Usage evidence: It seems the navy jets had a major screw-up in navigation and they bombed their own troops by mistake.
How to use "navy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "navy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "navy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "navy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "navy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "navy" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dark blue" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "navy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A country's entire maritime military force, including ships and personnel. countable
"The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy."
- 2 a dark shade of blue wordnet
- 3 A governmental department in charge of a country's maritime military force. countable
- 4 an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare wordnet
- 5 Any fleet of maritime vessels, and especially the entire fleet of any particular nationality, including vessels that are commercial, military, or both. archaic, countable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 the navy of the United States of America; the agency that maintains and trains and equips combat-ready naval forces wordnet
- 7 A dark blue colour, usually called navy blue. countable, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Having the dark blue colour of navy blue.
"The cover is as navy as a bruise."
- 2 Belonging to the navy; typical of the navy.
"[…] there are chess ships and checker ships and those where acey-deucey is almost the only game, the sailors' own improved version of backgammon. Fliers from the seacoast of Iowa, anxious to be as navy as the rest, are usually the first to pick it up."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"It seems the navy jets had a major screw-up in navigation and they bombed their own troops by mistake."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "navy"?
Common synonyms include: dark blue, naval forces, navy blue, argosy, armada, blue.
How do you use "navy" in a sentence?
It seems the navy jets had a major screw-up in navigation and they bombed their own troops by mistake.
How do you pronounce "navy"?
Pronounced /ˈneɪvi/.
Etymology
From Middle English nave, navye, from Anglo-Norman, Old French navie, from Latin nāvigia < nāvigium, from Latin nāvigō, nāvis (“boat”), from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂us. Compare Ancient Greek ναῦς (naûs, “ship”), Persian ناو (nâv, “boat, warship”), Sanskrit नाव (nāva, “ship”), Old English nōwend (“mariner, sailor”). Displaced native Old English sċiphere (literally “ship army”).