Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fleet in being

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.32 in modern English

Syllables: fleet in be-ing
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A naval fleet which exerts an influence while remaining in port.

Countable

Example Sentences

"In point of fact command of the sea and a fleet in being are mutually exclusive terms."
"But even for that navy, with its strong tradition of offensive action, there were occasions when the fleet-in-being strategy was prudent and effective."
"Lines of communication in space, on the other hand, move physical elements, but they are also used to move non-physical elements as well, such as data and information. Consequently, the space equivalent to "fleet in being" should recognize this fundamental difference. […] Whereas the naval fleet in being strategy uses ships to dispute command of the sea, a space strategy employing a force in being may use physical assets as well as non-physical means."
"It should instead have been saved as a reserve force, a fleet in being, as long as possible, and then committed in a Riskflotte operation at a key juncture, striking a decisive blow even if it involved its sacrifice."

Etymology

First used in 1690 by British Admiral Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington, in defending his strategy of keeping his fleet in port until reinforcements arrived, rather than engaging with the superior French force.

Usage

Countable

Inflected Forms

fleets in being (plural) fleet-in-being (alternative)

Questions

What does fleet in being mean?: A naval fleet which exerts an influence while remaining in port.
Where does fleet in being come from?: First used in 1690 by British Admiral Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington, in defending his strategy of keeping his fleet in port until reinforcements arrived, rather than engaging with the superior French force.

How to pronounce fleet in being

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