circumnavigate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to sail or fly around; make the circuit of by navigation.
to circumnavigate the earth.
-
to go or maneuver around.
to circumnavigate the heavy downtown traffic.
verb
Other Word Forms
- circumnavigable adjective
- circumnavigation noun
- circumnavigator noun
- circumnavigatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of circumnavigate
1625–35; < Latin circumnāvigātus (past participle of circumnāvigāre ), equivalent to circum- circum- + nāvigātus; navigate
Explanation
Circumnavigate means to travel around in a big circle. When you circumnavigate the world, will you do it in a boat or a hot air balloon? Circumnavigate breaks down to circum-, "around," and navigare, "to navigate." It was first used in the era when sailors were trying to find new lands they didn't know about, and so the "around" in question was the trip around the entire earth. We also use circumnavigate to describe going around something that's too hard to go through, like when you circumnavigate the massive crowds in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
Vocabulary lists containing circumnavigate
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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Around and Around: Circum
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Content Summary 4.1: Causes and Consequences of Iberian Maritime Exploration and Colonialism
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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.
A talented aviator, daredevil and dashing superstar, she was attempting to circumnavigate the globe and encourage “other women toward greater independence of thought and action.”
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2024
Similar to the race to the moon, this mission to aerially circumnavigate the world required “uniquely American” coordination and teamwork across military, industry, political and diplomatic figures, said Boeing’s senior corporate historian, Michael Lombardi.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 13, 2024
Most locals agreed and tolerated the truck traffic rerouting through Carbonne to circumnavigate the roadblock, according to the mayor, Denis Turrel.
From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2024
Couple to circumnavigate the world on a tandem.
From BBC • Dec. 3, 2022
They would circumnavigate the world in it, never remaining in any one port more than a week at a time.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
