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:
That being said, we found a lot of common ground talking to people around Britain; reasonable folks dispirited by the problems they observe, but ready to navigate their way through them constructively.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
But Ilyce Glink has some measured, reasonable advice about how to navigate the situation.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Yamamoto’s consistency has steadied the Dodgers’ rotation, while it’s had to navigate injuries to veteran starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and most recently Shohei Ohtani.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
It’s the sort of bad dream terrifying plenty of CEOs these days as they try to navigate the revolution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
With my own narrow shadow for a boat I navigate the streams of moonlight that run between shadow islands in the date-palm grove.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Los Angeles: Originally a military project managed at the Los Angeles Air Force Base in the 1970s, this satellite-based system changed how the world navigates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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
After a boom in demand during the pandemic, the industry has gone through a period of consolidation as it navigates the thin margins involved in home-delivery services, especially for food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 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 horses whinny and neigh as the driver navigates the sharp turns and narrow lanes of the Imperial City of Trianon.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
The scientists recorded neural activity in mice as they navigated a virtual reality corridor and made perceptual decisions.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
While Sir Keir faced troubles at home, he won praise for how he navigated the world stage.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
First and foremost, I’m very sorry you lost your husband at such a young age, and that you navigated that grief while also caring for your four children.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
Her team also navigated the city’s complex matching funds program, which quickly secured $1.25 million in taxpayer money to power her campaign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Dorothy was proud of the way she had navigated through the days of racial segregation, proud of whatever small share she might claim in contributing to the demise of that backward practice.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Though Neill had more than a lifetime’s experience playing characters who were solely benevolent or entirely wicked, he was remarkably adept at navigating the journey back and forth between these two polarities.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
While it is a big transition for workers used to navigating the depths of coal basins, instructor Michal Rak says the miners have valuable advantages.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Lev Sercarz is hardly the only professional in his field navigating the ways eating habits have been changed by the current crop of weight-loss drugs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
But navigating those crowded waters can bring a distinct financial hazard.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
In July 1938, Marina Raskova broke yet another distance record, this time navigating for pilot Polina Osipenko and her copilot, Vera Lomako.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
