circumnavigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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circumnavigates,
present (3rd person singular)
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circumnavigated,
past participle, past
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circumnavigating
present participle
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to sail or fly around; make the circuit of by navigation.
to circumnavigate the earth.
-
to go or maneuver around.
to circumnavigate the heavy downtown traffic.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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circumnavigatesimple
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circumnavigatessimple
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have circumnavigatedperfect
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has circumnavigatedperfect
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am circumnavigatingprogressive
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are circumnavigatingprogressive
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is circumnavigatingprogressive
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have been circumnavigatingperfect progressive
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has been circumnavigatingperfect progressive
Past
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circumnavigatedsimple
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had circumnavigatedperfect
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was circumnavigatingprogressive
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were circumnavigatingprogressive
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had been circumnavigatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of circumnavigate
1625–35; < Latin circumnāvigātus (past participle of circumnāvigāre ), equivalent to circum- circum- + nāvigātus; see navigate
Explanation
Circumnavigate means to travel around in a big circle. When you circumnavigate the world, will you do it in a boat or a hot air balloon? Circumnavigate breaks down to circum-, "around," and navigare, "to navigate." It was first used in the era when sailors were trying to find new lands they didn't know about, and so the "around" in question was the trip around the entire earth. We also use circumnavigate to describe going around something that's too hard to go through, like when you circumnavigate the massive crowds in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
Vocabulary lists containing circumnavigate
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Around and Around: Circum
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Content Summary 4.1: Causes and Consequences of Iberian Maritime Exploration and Colonialism
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The American pioneer vanished while attempting to circumnavigate the globe in 1937, spawning decades of speculation about her fate.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
The first Saturday in May is a cherished tradition for New York’s die-hard walkers, who gather to circumnavigate Manhattan in one very long day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
A talented aviator, daredevil and dashing superstar, she was attempting to circumnavigate the globe and encourage “other women toward greater independence of thought and action.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2024
Similar to the race to the moon, this mission to aerially circumnavigate the world required “uniquely American” coordination and teamwork across military, industry, political and diplomatic figures, said Boeing’s senior corporate historian, Michael Lombardi.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2024
It would take more than the age of the universe for light to circumnavigate it.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The route circumnavigates Bainbridge Island, earning its reputation along the way, particularly as riders are forced up the mountainous Baker Hill on the island’s south end.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2022
The L.E.D. screen—sixty feet long and almost two stories tall—flashes with ads for Broadway plays, beer, and children’s movies, as the boat circumnavigates lower Manhattan.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 18, 2019
The open-air expedition circumnavigates the island’s undeveloped coastline — a mini safari in the middle of the Pacific.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2019
It is easily accessed from the “ring road” that circumnavigates the park, the Cabot Trail, and follows a long ridge with a stunning view of the coast.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 23, 2016
Francis Drake circumnavigates the globe, and explores the west coast of North America.
From The Story of Geographical Discovery How the World Became Known by Joseph Jacobs
They dropped anchor off the coast of Shanghai on Dec. 3, having circumnavigated the globe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025
Ferdinand Magellan may have circumnavigated the globe, but he was not an expert on where he was going as he embarked upon the journey.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2024
Frodo, on the other hand, circumnavigated the entire North Pacific—and, as Ransome would discover, he’s not alone.
From National Geographic ● Sep. 28, 2023
Over the past two weeks, I have circumnavigated the globe by land, air and sea.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 5, 2023
Four hundred years before Eratosthenes, Africa had been circumnavigated by a Phoenician fleet in the employ of the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Sella's Himalayan journey began in 1899 when he joined British explorer Douglas Freshfield on an expedition circumnavigating Kanchenjunga.
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2025
She had long dreamed of circumnavigating the globe, a “shining adventure,” as she wrote, “perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
Rutherford is best known for being the first to complete a nonstop solo sail circumnavigating North and South America.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2023
Spain renewed its argument in 1522 when an expeditionary fleet that had been captained by Ferdinand Magellan returned to Europe after circumnavigating the globe.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022
After Eratosthenes, some may have tried, but not until the time of Magellan did anyone succeed in circumnavigating the Earth.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
