navigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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navigates,
present (3rd person singular)
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navigated,
past participle, past
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navigating
present participle
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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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navigates,
present (3rd person singular)
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navigated,
past participle, past
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navigating
present participle
-
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:
Vessels could still navigate, but with much smaller loads, making the transits less economically viable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The view changes as the ship’s pilots deftly navigate worlds — or at least try to — like the metropolis of Coruscant and the deserts of Tatooine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
She intends to be back in South America next summer, provided England navigate two rounds of qualification play-offs in the autumn to book their place at the Women's World Cup, which Brazil will host.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Medpace has carved out a niche helping smaller biotechs navigate the regulatory process.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Again, I am aware of how little I really know about the world I am trying to navigate.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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
In his third season with the Dodgers, rising star Andy Pages navigates the agonizing reality of being separated from his parents and sister as U.S.-Cuba relations face new flashpoints.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
If the 29-year-old navigates his way to this year's final, will the prospect of finally shedding his unwanted tag become too much of a burden to bear?
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
The move to diversify into new revenue sources comes as the automotive industry navigates rough waters in 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
Some even run behind the police car as it slowly navigates past gawking people, parked and stopped cars, and limo coaches.
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Together, these features offer fresh insight into how the bird may have searched for food and navigated its environment on Mauritius before becoming extinct in the late 17th century.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
American businesses have navigated Trump’s trade war nimbly, said Rich Lesser, chair of Boston Consulting Group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
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
Yamamoto would have navigated through the eighth without giving up another run if center fielder Andy Pages hadn’t lost Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s leadoff fly ball in the sun for a double.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
As we navigated a labyrinth of narrow streets toward the cathedral, a brooding quiet settled over us.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
We’re navigating historically expensive housing, student debt, inflation, stagnant entry-level wages and a social landscape with more entertainment options than previous generations had.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
During the same period that Google and DeepMind were navigating their new relationship, a rival lab by the name of OpenAI had begun working on a large language model.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
One bride, running late, struggled so badly navigating a path in high heels that police officers gave her a ride on their golf cart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“The Wrong Girls” comes to have its own wayward sense of internal logic, navigating off a slightly woozy compass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
If anything, the NACA’s response to Sputnik would only intensify the process of change, as the herculean task of safely navigating the heavens was divided into myriad smaller tasks, tests, parts, and people.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
