fleet

1 of 3

noun

1
: a number of warships under a single command
specifically : an organization of ships and aircraft under the command of a flag officer
2
: group sense 2a
especially : a group (as of ships, planes, or trucks) operated under unified control

fleet

2 of 3

adjective

1
: swift in motion : nimble
2
fleetly adverb
fleetness noun

fleet

3 of 3

verb

fleeted; fleeting; fleets

intransitive verb

1
a
: to fade away : vanish
b
archaic : flow
2
[fleet entry 2] : to fly swiftly
clouds fleeting across the sky
3
obsolete : drift

transitive verb

: to cause (time) to pass usually quickly or imperceptibly
many young gentlemen … fleet the time carelesslyWilliam Shakespeare
Choose the Right Synonym for fleet

fast, rapid, swift, fleet, quick, speedy, hasty, expeditious mean moving, proceeding, or acting with celerity.

fast and rapid are very close in meaning, but fast applies particularly to the thing that moves

fast horses

and rapid to the movement itself.

rapid current

swift suggests great rapidity coupled with ease of movement.

returned the ball with one swift stroke

fleet adds the implication of lightness and nimbleness.

fleet runners

quick suggests promptness and the taking of little time.

a quick wit

speedy implies quickness of successful accomplishment

speedy delivery of mail

and may also suggest unusual velocity.

hasty suggests hurry and precipitousness and often connotes carelessness.

a hasty inspection

expeditious suggests efficiency together with rapidity of accomplishment.

the expeditious handling of an order

Examples of fleet in a Sentence

Noun He was the commander of the Pacific fleet. The company has a large fleet of delivery trucks. Adjective a jewel thief said to be light of heart and fleet of foot
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.
Noun
Natural Gas Services Group continues to focus on renting larger horsepower compressors and optimizing its existing fleet to improve profitability. Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024 China is the world’s second-largest domestic aviation market after the U.S. Boeing has said China will more than double its commercial airplane fleet and need 8,830 new planes by 2043. Reuters, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
With this in mind, fleet electrification represents not only technological change but also an opportunity to digitally transform an industry that has seen modest evolution over the past 50 years. Charlie Jardine, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 More:Fain letter urges UAW Stellantis members to be ready to OK strike More:GM reports 2.2% US sales dip in 3rd quarter, cites lower fleet demand Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 1 Oct. 2024
Verb
In a world increasingly dominated by fleeting digital trends and fast fashion, IDK's attention to time in his personal life and artistic creations feels refreshing and necessary for diversity. Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 Other labels had chased fleeting TikTok sensations for short-term gain; the K-pop model, by contrast, is a long-term strategy that invests in years of training and development for each act. Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fleet 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English flete, from Old English flēot ship, from flēotan

Adjective

probably from fleet entry 3

Verb

Middle English fleten, from Old English flēotan; akin to Old High German fliozzan to float, Old English flōwan to flow

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of fleet was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fleet

Cite this Entry

“Fleet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fleet. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fleet

1 of 2 noun
1
: a group of warships under one command
2
: a group of ships or vehicles that move together or are under one management
a fleet of taxis
a fishing fleet

fleet

2 of 2 adjective
: very swift
fleet of foot
fleetly adverb
fleetness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fleet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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