noun
naval battle; sea battle
Poetic or literary term for a battle fought at sea. In modern contexts, 海戦 (かいせん) is more common.
古い軍記物には、船軍の様子が詳しく描かれている。
Old war tales describe naval battles in detail.
この詩は、源平合戦の船軍を詠んだ
This poem is about the naval battle of the Genpei War.
noun
navy; naval forces
Only when written 船軍
Archaic term for a navy or naval force, used only with the kanji 船軍. In modern Japanese, 海軍 (かいぐん) is standard.
戦国時代、ある大名は強力な船軍を擁していた。
During the Warring States period, a certain daimyo possessed a powerful navy.
「船軍」という言葉は、今では「海軍」に取って代わられた。
The word 船軍 has now been replaced by 海軍.
Alternate kanji spelling for the 'naval battle' sense, emphasizing the battle aspect.
Compound of 船 (ふね, 'ship') and 軍 (いくさ, 'battle' or 'army'). The reading せんぐん is the on'yomi version of the same kanji. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term appears in classical Japanese texts.