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:
Participants assigned a patient navigator began working with that person near the end of pregnancy and continued receiving support throughout the first year after delivery.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
They typically carry a crew of five - an aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
There are typically five crew members on such a plane, including an aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer, according to the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
The plane is usually crewed by five people: an aircraft commander, a pilot, a radar navigator, a navigator and an electronic warfare officer, according to a US Air Force fact sheet on the plane.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
The ground staff was by now equipped with radar, and the deputy chief navigator, Nina Slovokhotova, was able to update Tamara and Raya by radio to tell them where to find the German attack planes.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
New research from Northwestern Medicine suggests that patient navigators can help remove many of those barriers.
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
There is also the work of the clinical navigators - clinicians reviewing notes taken by the call handler to weed out those in need of a rapid response.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Since longitude was the missing piece of knowledge for oceanic navigators, all the early modern studies of the magnet were alert to the possibility that they might be able to fill this gap.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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