steer
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to guide the course of (something in motion) by a rudder, helm, wheel, etc..
to steer a bicycle.
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to follow or pursue (a particular course).
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to direct the course of; guide.
I can steer you to the best restaurant in town.
verb (used without object)
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to direct the course of a vessel, vehicle, airplane, or the like, by the use of a rudder or other means.
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to pursue a course of action.
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(of a vessel, vehicle, airplane, etc.) to be steered or guided in a particular direction or manner.
noun
idioms
noun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
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to direct the course of (a vehicle or vessel) with a steering wheel, rudder, etc
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(tr) to guide with tuition
his teachers steered him through his exams
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(tr) to direct the movements or course of (a person, conversation, etc)
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to pursue (a specified course)
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(intr) (of a vessel, vehicle, etc) to admit of being guided in a specified fashion
this boat does not steer properly
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to keep away from; shun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of steer1
First recorded before 900; Middle English steren, stere, stieren, Old English stēoran, stēran, stíoran, stýran, akin to stēor, stýr “steering, guidance”; cognate with German steuern, Old Norse stȳra, Gothic stiurjan
Origin of steer2
First recorded before 900; Middle English ster(e), Old English stēor “young bull or ox,” cognate with Dutch, German Stier, Old Norse stjōrr, Gothic stiur
Explanation
In defining steer, I would steer clear of complicated examples and just say: to steer is to control which direction one is going. Everyone who owns a car has learned to point his car in the right direction using the steering wheel. It's a bad idea to let your five year-old steer; you might end up in a sandbox. But the use of steer doesn't need to be limited to wheels and handle bars. If you have a friend torn between whether or not to go to college, you can help steer her towards the right decision. The President's job is "to steer the Ship of State."
Vocabulary lists containing steer
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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David Cameron's Words After the Brexit Vote
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 10
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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:
It has become common for the justices to write books, but they steer clear of writing about the work of the court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Developers and business leaders say they assume Shorris will actively steer the city’s policy, since CEOs of the agency typically set the agenda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Adjusting these phases changes the angle at which the array releases light, making it possible to steer the beam without moving any physical components.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
The American Museum of Natural History gave fans the chance to rub shoulders with dinosaurs while watching Messi, 39, fail to steer Argentina to its fourth World Cup.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Sat me on his lap and let me steer for the buoy.
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
He absolutely hates children, even as the whole plot, somewhat obviously, steers him in the opposite direction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Florida AG James Uthmeier said he is examining whether CVS’s PBM steers patients to its own pharmacies and pays its pharmacies higher reimbursements than it pays to independent pharmacies.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
This steers the reaction toward methanol production through the formate pathway.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026
Juan Manuel Fangio steers his Alfa Romeo around the hairpin during the first F1 world championship race in Monaco in 1950.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
Instead, I hold on tight to Meng as he steers the bike abruptly left and right to avoid the holes in the road.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
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.
