navigate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
navigates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
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.
-
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)
-
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.
-
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.
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 safely
he navigated his way to the bar
-
(intr) (of a passenger in a motor vehicle) to give directions to the driver; point out the route
-
rare (intr) to voyage in a ship; sail
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
navigatesimple
-
navigatessimple
-
have navigatedperfect
-
has navigatedperfect
-
am navigatingprogressive
-
are navigatingprogressive
-
is navigatingprogressive
-
have been navigatingperfect progressive
-
has been navigatingperfect progressive
Past
-
navigatedsimple
-
had navigatedperfect
-
was navigatingprogressive
-
were navigatingprogressive
-
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Sisters" by Raina Telgemeier
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Math Instinct," Vocabulary from the math essay
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Unusually, Turkey must navigate these complexities with Australia, a major fossil fuel exporter, after both countries agreed to share COP31 duties following a bruising hosting battle.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
For parents, that means more advice to navigate competing messages about what is best for their children.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
He says he knows the streets of Kyiv well enough to navigate without aids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
"If nature developed a GPS, a particle that can be relied upon to navigate thousands of kilometers across the ocean, then it would be something like this," he said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
Seasoned professionals who were trained to navigate towering fires in the skyscrapers of Tokyo, they were nevertheless visibly shaken by the challenge of working close to the open reactor pools.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
The fashion house is working to close the gap with rivals in courting top spenders as it navigates a difficult climate for luxury retail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Kazan doesn’t sacrifice much of the character’s darkness, but rather enables Pugh, an actress who ably navigates purity and corruption, to play with both closer to the surface than usual.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
From rules that don't always make sense to chaotic corridors and simply adjusting to everyday challenges, Pablo navigates this unfamiliar experience one drama at a time.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Hilton signed off on the custody arrangement in which Lavandeira will handle parental responsibilities, including enrolling the children in school, overseeing their medical care and anything else that may arise while Hilton navigates recovery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Looks like insurance will cover about half the cost,” she muses as she navigates the website.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
There’s an instinctual quality to how Navarrette has navigated her career thus far.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
I recently watched with smug satisfaction as OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra model hunted through spreadsheets to reconcile an uncooperative credit card statement and then navigated QuickBooks to make sure it was reflected in the right places.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
India has navigated the energy crisis sparked by the Iran war in part by turning to Russia, its most controversial fuel supplier in recent years.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Only a few have successfully navigated the disruption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The two other planes were flown and navigated by the regiment’s squadron commanders.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Pilots navigating the island also face heavy turbulence, low-lying sea fog, sudden microclimates and strong updrafts and downdrafts that can push a small aircraft off course.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The findings provide the first direct evidence that animals were navigating with Earth's magnetic field at least 97 million years ago.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
For many artists, the challenge is not just finding a venue but navigating unclear rules over what is allowed.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
I’m a 21-year-old navigating dating after a meaningful past relationship and I’m struggling.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
I wondered how Richard was navigating the turbulent waters between his normal wife and his abnormal parents.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
