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View synonyms for navigate

navigate

[ nav-i-geyt ]

verb (used with object)

, nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.
  1. to move on, over, or through (water, air, or land) in a ship or aircraft:

    to navigate a river.

  2. to direct or manage (a ship, aircraft, or guided missile) on its course.
  3. to ascertain or plot and control the course or position of (a ship, aircraft, etc.).
  4. to pass over (the sea or other body of water), as a ship does.
  5. to walk or find one's way on, in, or across:

    It was difficult to navigate the stairs in the dark.

  6. to move or progress through in a logical sequence:

    Headings and subheadings make it easier to navigate a long article.

  7. 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)

, nav·i·gat·ed, nav·i·gat·ing.
  1. to direct or manage a ship, aircraft, or guided missile on its course.
  2. to pass over the water, as a ship does.
  3. to walk or find one's way.
  4. to travel by ship or boat; sail.
  5. to move or progress through something in a logical sequence:

    We’re navigating through a maze of environmental legislation.

  6. Computers. to move from one part to another of a website, document, etc.

navigate

/ ˈnævɪˌɡeɪt /

verb

  1. to plan, direct, or plot the path or position of (a ship, an aircraft, etc)
  2. tr to travel over, through, or on (water, air, or land) in a boat, aircraft, etc
  3. informal.
    to direct (oneself, one's way, etc) carefully or safely

    he navigated his way to the bar

  4. intr (of a passenger in a motor vehicle) to give directions to the driver; point out the route
  5. rare.
    intr to voyage in a ship; sail


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Other Words From

  • mis·navi·gate verb misnavigated misnavigating
  • re·navi·gate verb (used with object) renavigated renavigating
  • un·navi·gated adjective
  • well-navi·gated adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of navigate1

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”; fumigate

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Word History and Origins

Origin of navigate1

C16: from Latin nāvigāre to sail, from nāvis ship + agere to drive

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Example Sentences

On the show, we had to find a way to navigate that in a sensitive way.

Three times a day, she would navigate the options without any idea what was on the menu that day.

He would navigate from the cockpit using a road atlas—while snorting cocaine off the map.

You navigate from scene to scene in an intimately small group.

And of the fact that we were able to navigate the film that dropped in the middle of the first season.

And when they come to look at that spare room they had to take soundings before they could navigate it.

Or should he attempt to descend a river even more terrible to navigate than the San Juan?

Like swimming squirrels, you navigate with the help of Heaven and a stiff breeze, but you never land where you hope to—do you?

We also started building a catamaran, with which to navigate the river when the floods had subsided.

There are three of you, all able-bodied seamen, and in case of a tempest you would be able to navigate the Coral.

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gallimaufry

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navigable semicirclenavigation