naval

adjective

na·​val ˈnā-vəl How to pronounce naval (audio)
Synonyms of navalnext
1
obsolete : of or relating to ships or shipping
2
a
: of or relating to a navy
b
: consisting of or involving warships

Examples of naval in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Stradale managed to recover three of the five crew members before the Maranello sank, the French naval prefecture for the Atlantic said. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 Silvester’s concept became the Falcon Study, a new interpretation of the original developed by his San Diego start-up Q7 Yacht Designs, with naval architecture by Dutch firm Dykstra, known for its work on the series of nascent J-Class examples. — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2026 For reference, this is the naval variant of China’s GJ-11 stealth attack drone. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026 The naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz remains in place, secondary sanctions are being tightened, and pressure is being increased on countries and financial networks that have allowed Tehran to circumvent previous restrictions. — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for naval

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin navalis, from navis ship

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of naval was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing naval

Rhymes for naval

See All Rhymes for naval

Browse Nearby Words

Navajo stitch
naval
naval architect
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naval. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

naval

adjective
na·​val ˈnā-vəl How to pronounce naval (audio)
: of or relating to a navy or warships

More from Merriam-Webster on naval

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for naval

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All