navigate

[ nav-i-geyt ]

/ ˈnæv ɪˌgeɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR navigate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.

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), nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.

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.

Nearby words

navicular fossa of urethra, navicular fossa of vestibule of vagina, navig., navigable, navigable semicircle, navigate, navigation, navigation act, navigation acts, navigational, navigational satellite

Origin of navigate

1580–90; < Latin nāvigātus, past participle of nāvigāre to sail, derivative of nāvis ship; for formation, see fumigate

Related formsmis·nav·i·gate, verb, mis·nav·i·gat·ed, mis·nav·i·gat·ing.re·nav·i·gate, verb (used with object), re·nav·i·gat·ed, re·nav·i·gat·ing.un·nav·i·gat·ed, adjectivewell-nav·i·gat·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for navigating

Saa is now navigating a new life in America as an incognito boarding school student.
Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira Vs. Boko Haram|Kristi York Wooten|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Did he give you any advice during the shoot about navigating the next step of your career?
'The Giver' Star Brenton Thwaites Knows You Think He's Too Old to Play Jonas|Kevin Fallon|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Earlier this year, army Apaches shot up several convoys that refused to stop while navigating mountainous dunes near the border.
On the Contraband Trail With Libya’s Gun Smugglers|Peter Schwartzstein|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Daily Beast arrived two hours after the shooting, navigating the unlit roads through mining country.
Inside Putin's Rigged Ukraine Election|Jamie Dettmer|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Navigating this brave new world is the inventively-named Anana, an employee at a soon to be obsolete print dictionary.
This Week’s Hot Reads: April 21, 2014|Thomas Flynn|April 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hendricks, upon receiving my permission, sprang to one of the two ports in the navigating room and unshuttered it.
Vampires of Space|Sewell Peaslee Wright
There the difficulty of navigating amongst the ice grew greater.
The English at the North Pole|Jules Verne
Another novel feature was in the method of controlling the depth of submergence when navigating between the surface and waterbed.
Aircraft and Submarines|Willis J. Abbot.
But I have a home and a mother to keep and it is only by fishing and navigating vessels that I can make the money.
The Viking Blood|Frederick William Wallace
The doctor climbed on, after which Bearwarden and Ayrault cast off, having prepared long poles for navigating.
A Journey in Other Worlds|John Jacob Astor

British Dictionary definitions for navigating

navigate

/ (ˈnævɪˌɡeɪt) /

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 safelyhe navigated his way to the bar

(intr) (of a passenger in a motor vehicle) to give directions to the driver; point out the route

(intr) rare to voyage in a ship; sail

Word Origin for navigate

C16: from Latin nāvigāre to sail, from nāvis ship + agere to drive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for navigating

navigate

1580s, a back-formation from navigation, or else from Latin navigatus, past participle of navigare. Extended to balloons (1784) and later to aircraft (1901). Related: Navigated; navigating.

navigate

verb (used with object), nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.

verb (used without object), nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.

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verb (used without object), nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.

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