naval

adjective

na·​val ˈnā-vəl How to pronounce naval (audio)
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.
Costa Rica and Haiti made their port facilities available to ships participating in the quarantine, while the Dominican Republic offered ships, and Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras offered their air and naval bases. Time, 28 Oct. 2025 The crossover will find the younger Gibbs and the NCIS team investigating the death of a naval officer in a small town in the 1990s and the unexpected reopening of the case in the present, which will allow for Harmon’s return as Gibbs. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025 The crossover will see the younger version of Gibbs (played by Austin Stowell) and his Origins teammates investigate the death of a naval officer in the 1990s, only for the case to be unexpectedly re-opened over three decades later on NCIS. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025 The Veterans Day crossover will feature the younger Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and his team investigating the small-town death of a naval officer in the ‘90s on Origins – a case that will be unexpectedly reopened in the present day on NCIS. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025 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

Cite this Entry

“Naval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naval. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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

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!