fleet

fleet — noun

1. several warships organised to operate as one unit under a single commander, or t

1.nounB1
Definition

several warships organised to operate as one unit under a single commander, or the complete collection of a nation's naval vessels

Example

The country's fleet of ten destroyers set sail for the western Pacific.

fleet of [number] + [vessel type]

Salma's grandfather served on a fishing fleet during the war.

fishing fleet

Common collocations
  • fleet of ships
  • fleet of destroyers
  • naval fleet
  • fishing fleet
  • merchant fleet
  • entire fleet
  • enemy fleet
Synonyms
  • navy

    refers to the entire naval force of a country, not just a group of ships on a mission

  • flotilla

    a smaller group of ships; more specific and less common

  • armada

    a large group of warships, often with connotations of historical battles

Grammar Patterns

fleet of + [number] + [vessel type]

possessive + fleet

Usage Note

Commonly used in news reports about naval exercises, trade routes, and maritime defence.

Common Mistakes

The fleet of ship sailed away.
The fleet of ships sailed away.
fleet refers to a group, so the following noun is usually plural.
He joined the fleet as a soldier.
He joined the navy as a sailor.
a fleet is a group of ships, not a military branch.

2. a group of vehicles such as buses, taxis, trucks, or aircraft that are owned or

2.nounB1
Definition

a group of vehicles such as buses, taxis, trucks, or aircraft that are owned or operated by the same company or organisation

Example

The airline is renewing its entire fleet of Boeing jets next year.

Felix drives one of the company's fleet of delivery vans.

fleet of [vehicle type]

Common collocations
  • bus fleet
  • fleet of vehicles
  • fleet of trucks
  • aircraft fleet
  • fleet management
  • fleet of taxis
  • delivery fleet
Synonyms
  • convoy

    a group of vehicles travelling together, not necessarily under the same ownership

  • pool

    a shared supply of vehicles available for use, often in car-sharing or government contexts

Grammar Patterns

fleet of + [vehicle type]

company's/organisation's + fleet

Usage Note

This sense is common in business and logistics contexts. The organisation's name often comes before 'fleet', as in 'the company fleet' or 'the city fleet'.

Common Mistakes

The bus fleet are all new this year.
The bus fleet is all new this year.
fleet is a collective noun and takes a singular verb in standard English.
They bought a fleet car for the manager.
They bought a car for the company fleet.
fleet describes the collection, not an individual item.

fleet — adjective

fleet — verb

Word family

  • fleeting
    adjectiveB2
  • fleetingly
    adverbC1
  • fleetness
    nounC2
  • fleet-footed
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to groups of ships, but they differ in size, scope, and connotation. A fleet is the broadest term — it can mean any group of ships operating together, from a small fishing fleet to a nation's entire naval force. Navy specifically means a country's permanent military organisation at sea, including its ships, personnel, and bases, so it is wider than fleet. A flotilla is a smaller tactical group, often of similar vessels such as destroyers or submarines, and is less commonly used in general writing. Armada carries a grand, historical flavour — it suggests a very large fleet assembled for a major military campaign, like the Spanish Armada of 1588. In everyday usage, fleet is the safest choice for most contexts. For example, a news report would say "a fleet of warships entered the port" (not "an armada"), and a country with many ships is said to have "a strong navy" (not "a strong fleet").

fleet ↗navy ↗flotilla ↗armada

Common collocations

Nouns

  • merchant fleet
  • fishing fleet
  • naval fleet
  • bus fleet
  • aircraft fleet
  • delivery fleet
  • taxi fleet

Phrases

  • fleet of ships
  • fleet of vehicles
  • fleet of aircraft

Prepositions

  • fleet of

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

The word 'fleet' comes from Old English 'flēotan', meaning 'to float, swim, or drift'. In its earliest uses, a fleet was literally 'a group of floating vessels'. This verb root is also the source of the modern English words 'float' and 'flow'. The adjective sense ('swift') developed from the idea of something that moves quickly over water or through the air, while the verb sense ('to fade away') grew from the notion of something floating out of sight. The related adjective 'fleeting' ('lasting a very short time') comes from the same source — something that 'floats away' quickly.