navigator
Americannoun
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navigators
plural
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a person who navigates.
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a person who practices, or is skilled in, navigation, as of ships or aircraft.
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a person who conducts explorations by sea.
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British. a navvy.
noun
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a person who is skilled in or performs navigation, esp on a ship or aircraft
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(esp formerly) a person who explores by ship
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an instrument or device for assisting a pilot to navigate an aircraft
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of navigator
First recorded in 1580–90, navigator is from the Latin word nāvigātor a sailor, mariner. See navigate, -tor
Explanation
A navigator is the person whose job it is to steer the ship. The navigator plans and charts the course and then points the boat in the right direction. Use the noun navigator when you talk about someone who's in charge of planning a ship's route. Airplanes have navigators too, to direct the course they will take using maps and various instruments. A more old fashioned meaning of navigator is an ocean explorer. In fact, in Latin, navigator simply means "sailor," from navis, "ship," and agere, "drive."
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:
Before taking part in the study, patient navigator Viridiana Carmona-Barrera had worked in hospital, insurance and women's health settings.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
He volunteered for military service during World War II and, with an affinity for math, served as a navigator on a B-17 bomber that saw heavy action.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
They typically carry a crew of five - an aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
The 30-year-old navigator from rural Bangladesh normally passes seatime evading zombies on the videogame Minecraft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
Larisa Rozanova took her place as the chief navigator for the 46th Guards.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
The researchers said the program's success in connecting postpartum patients with primary care demonstrates how navigators may help close some of these gaps.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
The study found that healthcare professionals also valued the support provided by navigators.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
WSJ gained exclusive access to film pilots and navigators pivoting from attacks on Russian heavy equipment to destroying their drones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
As airports continue to expand, interest is growing in passenger-assistance services that include perks like personal navigators, private lounges and no lines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
As the nineteenth century ran out, more and more of the continent was mapped and described by navigators from around the world—although Antarctica claimed many ships as payment.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
