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Added 9 October 2026

navy

/ˈneɪvi/ noun

In Latin: classis Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about navy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare.
A dark shade of blue.
The navy of the United States of America; the agency that maintains and trains and equips combat-ready naval forces.

Origin

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”). By surface analysis, Latin nav- + -y. Displaced native Old English sċiphere (literally “ship army”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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