navigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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to direct or manage a ship, aircraft, or guided missile on its course.
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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:
An unknown quantity in Europe, having only managed in qualifiers, he will also have to navigate two ties to reach the Europa League proper, where Rangers have excelled in recent years.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
When six-time Super Bowl winner Belichick was named UNC coach in December 2024, Lombardi was brought on board almost immediately to help the Tar Heels navigate the changing college athletic landscape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Analysts say vessel traffic is unlikely to normalize until markets are convinced the easing of tensions can last and ships can navigate safely, leaving oil prices vulnerable to renewed swings if hostilities flare up again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
If you can navigate sites like StreetEasy and Zillow, you’ll easily be able to find “no-fee” apartments, or apartments that do not require you to go through a broker to rent.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Only then does she navigate her way through nearly empty pathways to find the latest addition to the circus.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
The iPhone maker’s stock has been on a steady upward trend in 2026, even as Apple navigates a memory crunch that has forced the company to raise prices on some of its products.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Points, too, for the solid casting, from the leads’ tricky pivoting from openness to caginess, to the criminally underseen Wasikowska, who navigates maternal complexities of worry and compassion that confound easy pigeonholing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Instead of striving to set a timeline for their child’s exit, parents should take pride in providing assistance as their child navigates independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
It then navigates its environment using cameras in its helmet that provide 360-degree vision, allowing its AI system to assess the surroundings and adapt its movements.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
I hang on as the plane navigates around the S curves, and my hands grow stinging paper cuts.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Cutler said this has a lower likelihood of being overridden by courts, noting Trump's top trade official Jamieson Greer had carefully navigated procedural requirements before imposing duties.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Treasury yields were trading little changed in Asian trade, as investors navigated between higher oil prices and hopes of an end to hostilities between the U.S. and Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“We acknowledge these overhangs but note that Netflix has successfully navigated similar periods of skepticism,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
The scientists recorded neural activity in mice as they navigated a virtual reality corridor and made perceptual decisions.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
When Valya Kravchenko navigated for Valentin, she’d grow absorbed in her map and suddenly hear him ask, “Where is Melashvili? Where is Spitsina, Yegorova, Matyukhina, Kirillova, Fedotova?”
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
On one occasion, turning to the bot for help navigating an in-person chat with friends actually backfired on her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The starkest contrast between two summertime TV hits about women navigating midlife’s challenges shows up in the way its leading ladies handle themselves in the kitchen.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Rather than passively consuming a finished narrative, audiences actively participate in constructing and navigating the environment itself.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
For Ambrositsch and Keller, the key to survival lies in navigating those challenges while refreshing the age-old formula.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Miguel isn’t my friend! Besides, I’m better at navigating my way through a library than he’ll ever be.”
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
