navigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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navigates,
present (3rd person singular)
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navigated,
past participle, past
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navigating
present participle
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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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navigates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
navigated,
past participle, past
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navigating
present participle
-
to direct or manage a ship, aircraft, or guided missile on its course.
-
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:
Like all life-altering choices, there is never a “perfect” time to execute them, and it’s impossible to navigate them perfectly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
“Open communication, clear expectations, and shared planning can help families navigate this stage together,” Irwin said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Founders Michelle Lu and Kier Storey hope one day their software will control robots that can navigate and do useful tasks in the home and workplace.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Traders and shippers are demanding premiums to navigate riskier waterways.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Luke needed something he could hold on to, could use to navigate the world.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
“We cannot ever be complacent,” Ms. Berg says, as she navigates the barriers outside her buildings, each bollard proof of how hard it is for a German Jew to live in peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Kazan doesn’t sacrifice much of the character’s darkness, but rather enables Pugh, an actress who ably navigates purity and corruption, to play with both closer to the surface than usual.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Haakon's reign begins in the backdrop of these scandals, and how he navigates them might come to define his monarchy.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
The way the central couple navigates the twists, turns, roadblocks and unforced errors that entangle their budding relationship is the beating heart of these films.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Zohra links her arm with mine and navigates me through the crowds, warning me for the seventeenth time to watch my purse.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
As the two awkwardly navigated walking and talking through the audience, the Nvidia CEO directed Benioff to follow him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
The company navigated supply-chain, political and economic disruptions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
"As a result, the ship navigated like a 'ghost vessel', effectively invisible to other traffic," the report said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Meanwhile, her mother, having navigated four older siblings’ athletic careers, was free to travel with 14-year-old Tracy because the nest was empty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
They navigated a maze of corridors, then rounded a corner into a locker room.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
The vast majority are self-represented, navigating the court system without the help of an attorney.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Alec Litowitz spent more than three decades navigating markets when the old-school rules stopped working.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Personal Tech columnist Nicole Nguyen spent months navigating its magical highs and frustrating lows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
The three brothers zigzagged across Zambia, navigating a landscape increasingly shaped by people and avoiding obstacles including major cities.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
By navigating there through fog, snow, and winter seas, Worsley had found the needle in the haystack.
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.
