ambulate

American  

[am-byuh-leyt] / ˈæm byəˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

ambulated, ambulating

1. to walk about or move from place to place.

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ambulate British  

/ ˈæmbjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to wander about or move from one place to another

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Other Word Forms

• ambulation
  noun
• ambulator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ambulate

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ambulātus (past participle of ambulāre “to walk”), equivalent to ambul- ( see amble) + -ātus past participle suffix ( see -ate ¹)

Explanation

To ambulate is simply to move, especially by walking. You might ambulate proudly down the halls of your high school, hoping everyone notices your new red cowboy boots. Use the verb ambulate when you need a technical or formal way to talk about someone moving by their own power. A hospital patient might be relieved to finally ambulate on her crutches after breaking her leg, and three-legged dogs usually manage to ambulate perfectly well without the missing limb. The Latin root of ambulate is ambulare, "to walk."

Example Sentences

The pangrams from yesterday’s Spelling Bee were ambulate, ambulette and mutable.

From New York Times • Apr. 17, 2023

The officer noted in her police report that Peterman was unarmed and used a walker to ambulate, the charges say.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2022

“Scooting is the only way he could ambulate independently,” she explained.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2017

You may find nurse midwives more sympathetic to your need to ambulate than obstetricians.

From Time Magazine Archive

And maybe she could even ambulate his clothing and his boots and send him home, where he could wake up in the loving embrace of his family.

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill