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/ərˈmædə/
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/ərˈmædə/
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/ərˈmædə/
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/ərˈmædə/
Plural
armadas
An armada is a large, powerful fleet of warships—often assembled for a major military campaign. Think of it as the naval equivalent of an army: not just any group of ships, but a coordinated, heavily armed force meant to project power, invade, or dominate the seas. Historically, the most famous example is the Spanish Armada of 1588, sent to invade England.
The Spanish Armada sailed from Lisbon in May 1588 with over 130 ships.
Modern navies no longer deploy traditional armadas, but carrier strike groups serve a similar strategic role.
In the novel, the pirate king assembled his own makeshift armada to challenge the royal navy.
The museum's centerpiece is a detailed scale model of the Tudor-era English armada that repelled the invasion.
Though small in number, their well-equipped armada controlled the entire coastline for three weeks.
arma
Comes from Latin 'arma', meaning 'arms', 'weapons', or 'military equipment'; it is a neuter plural noun that evolved to denote armed forces collectively. The word 'armada' directly derives from Spanish/Portuguese (via Latin), where 'armada' literally means 'armed force' or 'fleet'. Examples include armada, armament, armature, disarm, rearm.