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:
And despite the added allure of a World Cup in Brazil next summer should England navigate the play-offs this autumn, Kelly is keeping her focus on the short term.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Analysts say vessel traffic is unlikely to normalize until markets are convinced the easing of tensions can last and ships can navigate safely, leaving oil prices vulnerable to renewed swings if hostilities flare up again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
When six-time Super Bowl winner Belichick was named UNC coach in December 2024, Lombardi was brought on board almost immediately to help the Tar Heels navigate the changing college athletic landscape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
If you can navigate sites like StreetEasy and Zillow, you’ll easily be able to find “no-fee” apartments, or apartments that do not require you to go through a broker to rent.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Ambrose said you could navigate between dimensions. Ma tried to do it, but something went wrong with the transporter.”
From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott
The iPhone maker’s stock has been on a steady upward trend in 2026, even as Apple navigates a memory crunch that has forced the company to raise prices on some of its products.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
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
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
Lainie nods as she navigates her way around the crowded office to the chair on the other side of the desk.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Cutler said this has a lower likelihood of being overridden by courts, noting Trump's top trade official Jamieson Greer had carefully navigated procedural requirements before imposing duties.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Treasury yields were trading little changed in Asian trade, as investors navigated between higher oil prices and hopes of an end to hostilities between the U.S. and Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The scientists recorded neural activity in mice as they navigated a virtual reality corridor and made perceptual decisions.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
The Twins threatened in the seventh and eighth, but Dodgers right-hander Kyle Hurt overcame a pair of walks, and left-hander Alex Vesia navigated a pair of singles to hold the score.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Paris had just gotten off the train from Aberdeen and was in a hurry as he expertly navigated the jumble of passengers and luggage trolleys that filled platform twelve.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Elsewhere, vehicles on a two-lane road were seen carefully navigating sections of buckled pavement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
People are leaning on AI for a task more dreaded than homework: navigating social situations with their fellow humans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The starkest contrast between two summertime TV hits about women navigating midlife’s challenges shows up in the way its leading ladies handle themselves in the kitchen.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Rather than passively consuming a finished narrative, audiences actively participate in constructing and navigating the environment itself.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
As second mate, he stood watches; he was doing most of the navigating now.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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.
