navigate

[ nav-i-geyt ]

/ ˈnæv ɪˌgeɪt /

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See synonyms for: navigate / navigated / navigating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.

to move on, over, or through (water, air, or land) in a ship or aircraft: to navigate a river.

to direct or manage (a ship, aircraft, or guided missile) on its course.

to ascertain or plot and control the course or position of (a ship, aircraft, etc.).

to pass over (the sea or other body of water), as a ship does.

to walk or find one's way on, in, or across: It was difficult to navigate the stairs in the dark.

to move or progress through in a logical sequence: Headings and subheadings make it easier to navigate a long article.

Computers. to move from one part to another of (a website, document, etc.), especially by using the links: Their site is uncluttered and easy to navigate.

verb (used without object), nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.

to direct or manage a ship, aircraft, or guided missile on its course.

to pass over the water, as a ship does.

to walk or find one's way.

to travel by ship or boat; sail.

to move or progress through something in a logical sequence: We’re navigating through a maze of environmental legislation.

Computers. to move from one part to another of a website, document, etc.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of navigate

1580–90; <Latin nāvigātus, past participle of nāvigāre to sail, derivative of nāvis ship; for formation, see fumigate

OTHER WORDS FROM navigate

mis·nav·i·gate, verb, mis·nav·i·gat·ed, mis·nav·i·gat·ing.re·nav·i·gate, verb (used with object), re·nav·i·gat·ed, re·nav·i·gat·ing.un·nav·i·gat·ed, adjectivewell-nav·i·gat·ed, adjective

Words nearby navigate

navicular fossa of urethra, navicular fossa of vestibule of vagina, navig., navigable, navigable semicircle, navigate, navigation, Navigation Act, Navigation Acts, navigational satellite, navigator

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use navigate in a sentence

With the school year in full swing, many parents are navigating virtual, in-person, or hybrid learning for their kids amidst the global pandemic — as if work and home life wasn’t stressful enough.
8 Easy Snacks Your Kids Will Love|Charli Penn|September 17, 2020|Essence.com
At its heart, though, Borgen is interested in the ways that Birgitte has to navigate some of these social pressures in a way a man just wouldn’t.
One Good Thing: A Danish drama perfect for political devotees, now on Netflix|Emily VanDerWerff|September 11, 2020|Vox
Personalized content has become even more important as brands compete for the attention of people spending significantly more time online while navigating stay-at-home orders.
Unpacking the TikTok algorithm: Three reasons why it’s the most addictive social network|Brian Freeman|September 11, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The insights I’ve gained by seeing the challenges, opportunities, and decision-making they’ve experienced through their eyes have helped me navigate various pivot points and opportunities within my own career.
Book recommendations from Fortune’s 40 under 40 in media and entertainment|Rachel King|September 11, 2020|Fortune

The departure of Jacques, 48, who joined Rio in 2011, comes amid wider upheaval in the top ranks of the mining industry, as the sector prepares for a longer-term slowdown in demand from China and navigates moves to decarbonize the global economy.
The CEO of mining giant Rio Tinto is forced out following the destruction of an ancient archeological site|Bernhard Warner|September 11, 2020|Fortune
On the show, we had to find a way to navigate that in a sensitive way.
Natalie Dormer Talks ‘Hunger Games,’ Feminism, and Why ‘Game of Thrones’ Needs More Dick|Marlow Stern|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Three times a day, she would navigate the options without any idea what was on the menu that day.
TEDx Talks Have a Disability Problem—but This Incredible Young Woman Is Working to Change That|Nina Strochlic|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He would navigate from the cockpit using a road atlas—while snorting cocaine off the map.
The Secrets of Britain’s Wildest Aristocrats|Tom Sykes|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You navigate from scene to scene in an intimately small group.
New York’s Scariest Night Out: The Ghosts, Rats, and Lunatics of ‘Nightmare New York’|Justin Jones|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And of the fact that we were able to navigate the film that dropped in the middle of the first season.
The Leaner, Meaner Season 2 of ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’|Jason Lynch|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And when they come to look at that spare room they had to take soundings before they could navigate it.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Or should he attempt to descend a river even more terrible to navigate than the San Juan?
Overland|John William De Forest
Like swimming squirrels, you navigate with the help of Heaven and a stiff breeze, but you never land where you hope to—do you?
In Search of the Unknown|Robert W. Chambers
We also started building a catamaran, with which to navigate the river when the floods had subsided.
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont|Louis de Rougemont
There are three of you, all able-bodied seamen, and in case of a tempest you would be able to navigate the Coral.
Adrift on the Pacific|Edward S. Ellis

British Dictionary definitions for navigate

navigate

/ (ˈnævɪˌɡeɪt) /

verb

to plan, direct, or plot the path or position of (a ship, an aircraft, etc)

(tr) to travel over, through, or on (water, air, or land) in a boat, aircraft, etc

informal to direct (oneself, one's way, etc) carefully or safelyhe navigated his way to the bar

(intr) (of a passenger in a motor vehicle) to give directions to the driver; point out the route

(intr) rare to voyage in a ship; sail

Word Origin for navigate

C16: from Latin nāvigāre to sail, from nāvis ship + agere to drive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

navigate

Origin of navigate

OTHER WORDS FROM navigate

Words nearby navigate

Words related to navigate

How to use navigate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for navigate

Word Origin for navigate