navigate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
navigates,
present (3rd person singular)
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navigated,
past participle, past
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navigating
present participle
-
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.
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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:
But the straight-talking 42-year-old El-Sayed pledged to help cash-strapped voters navigate America's fractured, for-profit health care system.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Rhode Island established the Community Health Worker program in 2022 to help “Medicaid recipients navigate the healthcare system,” according to the state.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
The technology could help generate driving plans for the many individual segments of a longer journey, providing guidance that Perseverance's AutoNav system can use to navigate the terrain.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
But she added they had to "mentally navigate all of these things" when all they "really want to do is stay at home and enjoy being a family for once".
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
My mom had heard JFK was massive, and she was terrified to navigate the airport's terminals on her own.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Investors are continuing to watch how the insurer navigates costs in its Medicare Advantage and Medicaid portfolios.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Directed by Marc Evans, whose previous work includes BBC's Mr Burton, the film follows Effi as she navigates being out of work, clubbing and hangovers.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Cornell University on Tuesday became the latest elite school to propose a course-correction as it navigates one of the toughest periods in the history of American higher education.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 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
The horses whinny and neigh as the driver navigates the sharp turns and narrow lanes of the Imperial City of Trianon.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, said "many airlines have navigated this year's oil price spike thanks to forward hedging, having locked in large swathes of fuel costs before the Iran war".
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
As I navigated around a map, it was quicker for me to zoom and pan on the screen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
I’d appreciate any guidance or suggestions from those who have navigated this before.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
The murky, magnificent Eel River was once a highway for the Wailaki people, who navigated by canoe and hauled goods between villages in cone-shaped baskets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
The difficult terrain of the ramp was unexpected, but it looked no worse than other terrain he routinely navigated.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
“Younger workers, who are likely more exposed to AI-driven displacement, are navigating this transition better. They are returning to full-time employment faster and cycling through fewer temporary jobs along the way.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Samira made a dramatic escape from Iran on foot, navigating dangerous mountainous terrain.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Last year, she turned to a trusted Rio Grande Valley nonprofit for help navigating the citizenship application process.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
Watch Duty exploded in popularity by providing up-to-the-minute firefighting updates, fire perimeters, and on-the-scene reports to people previously stuck navigating a fractured system of emergency alerts that gave minimal information.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Miguel isn’t my friend! Besides, I’m better at navigating my way through a library than he’ll ever be.”
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
