navigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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navigates,
present (3rd person singular)
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navigated,
past participle, past
-
navigating
present participle
-
to move on, over, or through (water, air, or land) in a ship or aircraft.
to navigate a river.
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to direct or manage (a ship, aircraft, or guided missile) on its course.
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to ascertain or plot and control the course or position of (a ship, aircraft, etc.).
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to pass over (the sea or other body of water), as a ship does.
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to walk or find one's way on, in, or across.
It was difficult to navigate the stairs in the dark.
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to move or progress through in a logical sequence.
Headings and subheadings make it easier to navigate a long article.
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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)
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navigates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
navigated,
past participle, past
-
navigating
present participle
-
to direct or manage a ship, aircraft, or guided missile on its course.
-
to pass over the water, as a ship does.
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to walk or find one's way.
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to travel by ship or boat; sail.
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to move or progress through something in a logical sequence.
We’re navigating through a maze of environmental legislation.
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Computers. to move from one part to another of a website, document, etc.
verb
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to plan, direct, or plot the path or position of (a ship, an aircraft, etc)
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(tr) to travel over, through, or on (water, air, or land) in a boat, aircraft, etc
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informal to direct (oneself, one's way, etc) carefully or safely
he navigated his way to the bar
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(intr) (of a passenger in a motor vehicle) to give directions to the driver; point out the route
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rare (intr) to voyage in a ship; sail
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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navigatesimple
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navigatessimple
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have navigatedperfect
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has navigatedperfect
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am navigatingprogressive
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are navigatingprogressive
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is navigatingprogressive
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have been navigatingperfect progressive
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has been navigatingperfect progressive
Past
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navigatedsimple
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had navigatedperfect
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was navigatingprogressive
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were navigatingprogressive
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had been navigatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of navigate
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin nāvigātus “sailed,” past participle of nāvigāre “to sail,” from nāv(is) “ship” + -igāre, combining form of agere “to drive, do”; cf. fumigate
Explanation
To navigate is to determine a path or course. If you volunteer to navigate on your family’s road trip to Alaska, be sure you’re the type who’s willing to stop and ask for directions. Navigate, like “navy” and “naval,” comes from the Latin word navis meaning “ship.” Without the luxury of modern technology, ancient sailors had to be excellent navigators; they often relied on the stars to chart their course. (We don’t recommend that you try this method of navigation with your family in the car.)
Vocabulary lists containing navigate
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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"Sisters" by Raina Telgemeier
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"The Math Instinct," Vocabulary from the math essay
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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:
Canadian and European Union leaders meet in Montreal this week for a summit aimed at deepening their alliance as both sides navigate tumultuous relations with the United States.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
Once faith hangs in the balance, Fielder can navigate the viewer and Seyfried through its opaque boundaries, taking all of us to Evans’ house for an uncomfortably intimate dinner.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
Keeping the head steady while the rest of the body rotates may help the animals maintain control and navigate effectively during their rapid escapes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
Our reporters visually track how carriers are altering the world’s busiest flight paths to navigate around conflicts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
How could he navigate this crude piece of wood?
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
Investors are continuing to watch how the insurer navigates costs in its Medicare Advantage and Medicaid portfolios.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Writer-director Reed Van Dyk’s feature debut navigates tricky emotional waters but emerges as a trenchant examination of what forgiveness and penitence can look like, allowing no room for anything resembling a pat happy ending.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Prada is working to close the gap with rivals at the very top of the market as it navigates a difficult climate for luxury retail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The first series focused on Mary, the couple's seemingly unremarkable middle daughter as she navigates the societal pressures of Regency England.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Lainie nods as she navigates her way around the crowded office to the chair on the other side of the desk.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
I’d appreciate any guidance or suggestions from those who have navigated this before.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
One theory is Earhart unintentionally navigated to Nikumaroro, where she ditched her plane and died a castaway.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The pain caused by a stress fracture in her back eventually subsided, but the 24-year-old Briton still had a long road to full recovery, which needed to be navigated with patience and hard work.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Students navigated race, politics, relationships and the growing pains of young adulthood at a historically Black college.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
He navigated by other signs—his Arctic fox dæmon for one, who sat at the front of the sledge keenly scenting the way.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
The company has been trying to win back customers navigating inflation and discount offerings from the chain’s rivals, with lower-income consumers in particular struggling.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Optical networking pioneer Ciena is navigating the uncertainties of the artificial intelligence boom with the same mindset that helped it survive the depths of the telecom bust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
The work involves driving, lifting, navigating stores and responding to customers, often without the protections and benefits associated with conventional employment.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
The researchers found that viral assembly resembles navigating a complicated maze, where only certain paths lead to lasting progress.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
At that very moment, for example, Will was inside the walls of the Ashers’ apartment building, navigating with the help of an outmoded dumbwaiter that probably no one but him knew existed anymore.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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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.
