noun
admiral
AD-muh-ruhl
noun
1
A senior naval officer who commands a fleet or squadron.
"The admiral gave the order to set sail at dawn."
2
A high naval rank, roughly equivalent to a general in the army.
"She was promoted to rear admiral after twenty years of service."
How to Use Admiral
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA top-ranking naval commander, or the rank itself.
Common pairings
rear admiral
vice admiral
fleet admiral
Word Forms
admirals plural
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Etymology
From Medieval Latin admiralis, itself borrowed and reshaped from Arabic amir ("commander"). It was later linked by folk etymology to Latin admirari ("to admire"), which is why it looks like an English word but isn't related in origin.