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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has navigatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have navigatedperfect
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am navigatingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been navigatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been navigatingperfect progressive
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is navigatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are navigatingprogressive
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navigatingparticiple
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navigatessingular 3rd person
Past
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had navigatedperfect
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had been navigatingperfect progressive
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were navigatingprogressive plural
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was navigatingprogressive singular
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navigatedsimple
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navigatedparticiple
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.
Olly Reed, marketing director at tourism consultancy Navigate, which works with more than 50 UK visitor attractions, said it tracked attendance patterns against forecast weather data.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
Her latest, to be published in February 2021, is called “Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life.’
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026
Navigate your way independently to the company’s website, find the contact information for customer service and reach out directly.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2024
That will help equip the model with new features that are on par with Tesla's Navigate on Autopilot, the source added.
From Reuters • May 17, 2023
Carolina, that the Capt. of the privateer put him on Board400 with the french Master to Navigate the Vessell to Augustine with another Englishman, Saml.
From Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Illustrative Documents by Jameson, J. Franklin (John Franklin)
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.
