Standard Lemma guide

navigate

verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/
  • US: /ˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/
  • US: năv′-ĭ-gāt
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: N AE1 V AH0 G EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To plan, control and record the position and course of a vehicle, ship, aircraft, etc., on a journey; to follow a planned course.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • He navigated the bomber to the Ruhr.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To give directions, as from a map, to someone driving a vehicle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • You drive. I'll navigate.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To travel over water in a ship; to sail.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • We navigated to France in the dinghy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To move between web pages, menus, etc. by means of hyperlinks, mouse clicks, or any other mechanism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • It was difficult to navigate back to the home page.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To find a way through a difficult situation or process.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive, figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

travel on water propelled by wind or by other means

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The QE2 will sail to Southampton tomorrow

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: voyage, sail

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: travel, journey

Narrower terms: astrogate, cruise

7

verb

Meaning 7

direct carefully and safely

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He navigated his way to the altar

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: steer, maneuver, manoeuver, manoeuvre, direct, point, head, guide, channelize, channelise

8

verb

Meaning 8

act as the navigator in a car, plane, or vessel and plan, direct, plot the path and position of the conveyance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Is anyone volunteering to navigate during the trip?
  • Who was navigating the ship during the accident?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pilot

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: steer, maneuver, manoeuver, manoeuvre, direct, point, head, guide, channelize, channelise

Narrower terms: astrogate

History

Etymology

First attested in 1588; borrowed from Latin nāvigātus, the perfect passive participle of nāvigō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from nāvis (“ship”) + -igō, from Proto-Indo-European *néh2us (“boat”).

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: навигирам (navigiram) — plan, control
  • Dutch: navigeren — plan, control
  • Finnish: ohjata — plan, control
  • Finnish: suunnistaa — plan, control
  • German: die Richtung vorgeben — plan, control
  • German: steuern — plan, control
  • Hebrew: נִוֵּט (nivvét) — plan, control
  • Italian: seguire — plan, control
  • Italian: dirigere — plan, control
  • Latin: gubernō — plan, control
  • Macedonian: навиги́ра (navigíra) — plan, control
  • Afrikaans: navigeer — travel over water
  • Albanian: Lundrim — travel over water
  • Bulgarian: плавам (plavam) — travel over water
  • Catalan: navegar — travel over water
  • Dutch: varen — travel over water
  • Dutch: navigeren — travel over water
  • Finnish: purjehtia — travel over water
  • Finnish: navigoida — travel over water
  • French: naviguer — travel over water
  • German: über Wasser fahren — travel over water
  • Hebrew: נִוֵּט (nivet) — travel over water
  • Italian: navigare — travel over water
  • Latin: nāvigō — travel over water
  • Macedonian: пло́ви (plóvi) — travel over water
  • Macedonian: корми́лари (kormílari) — travel over water
  • Māori: whakatere — travel over water
  • Norwegian: navigere — travel over water
  • Portuguese: navegar — travel over water
  • Spanish: navegar — travel over water
  • Spanish: singlar — travel over water
  • Swedish: navigera — travel over water
  • Welsh: hwylio — travel over water
  • Afrikaans: navigeer — move on the internet
  • Bulgarian: сърфирам (sǎrfiram) — move on the internet
  • Catalan: navegar — move on the internet
  • Dutch: navigeren — move on the internet
  • Dutch: surfen — move on the internet
  • Finnish: siirtyä — move on the internet
  • Finnish: navigoida — move on the internet
  • French: naviguer — move on the internet
  • German: surfen — move on the internet
  • German: navigieren im Internet — move on the internet
  • Italian: navigare — move on the internet
  • Macedonian: су́рфа (súrfa) — move on the internet
  • Persian: ناوبری (nâvbari) — move on the internet
  • Portuguese: navegar — move on the internet
  • Spanish: navegar — move on the internet
  • Swedish: surfa — move on the internet
  • Swedish: navigera — move on the internet
Real reading context

navigate in complete knowledge articles