armada

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A big fleet of armed ships sent out together, especially for war.

   Grammar: Takes a singular or plural verb in British English, but usually singular in American: the armada was sighted.

   Patterns

   • an armada of something

   The king assembled an armada to invade the island.

   A Spanish armada set sail in the summer of 1588.

   The admiral watched the enemy armada gather on the horizon.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A very large group of vessels, vehicles or aircraft moving together.

   Grammar: Often followed by of: an armada of small boats.

   Patterns

   • an armada of something

   An armada of tiny sailboats filled the harbor for the regatta.

   An armada of delivery trucks lined the street before the holiday.

   A whole armada of drones hovered above the stadium.

Word forms

Common combinations

Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada was defeated by the English fleet.

an armada of ships

An armada of ships crossed the channel.

assemble an armada

The empire assembled an armada in less than a year.

sail an armada

He dreamed of sailing an armada around the world.

armada of boats

An armada of boats escorted the winning crew home.

Synonyms and how they differ

fleet

Fleet is the everyday word for a group of ships and has no sense of drama or invasion.

flotilla

Flotilla suggests a smaller group of vessels, often small boats.

navy

Navy means a country's whole permanent sea force, while an armada is a specific large force sent out.

squadron

Squadron is a smaller, organized unit of ships or aircraft.

Word family

armed adjective

carrying weapons

armament noun

weapons and military equipment

armadillo noun

a small armored mammal whose name comes from the same Spanish root

Commonly confused: armada or armadillo?

Practice

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