French word

naval

Pronunciation

IPA/naval/

Meaning

  • adjectivenaval

Example

La base navale est proche.

The naval base is nearby.

Illustration for naval (naval)

More examples

La tempête a endommagé des installations navales dans le port.

The storm damaged naval facilities in the port.

Core concept

Warships and fleet activity viewed as part of organized military forces at sea.

Similar words

maritime: Relating to the sea, activity at sea, or navigation.
militaire: Relating to armed forces or military affairs.
marin: Relating to sailors or ships.

Definition in French

Qui appartient à la marine militaire ou qui concerne les bâtiments de guerre et les opérations en mer.

Word origin

The French adjective naval continues Latin navalis, which was built from navis, meaning 'ship', and entered French through medieval usage.

Usage tips

  • Naval is mainly military in French, while maritime more generally concerns the sea and marin can describe sailors or seafaring things.

Opposites

Word lists with this word