Meaning & use
navigate
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To plan and direct the course of a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle.
Grammar: Takes an object: navigate a ship, navigate the plane.
Patterns
- navigate something
- navigate through something
The captain navigated the ship through the narrow channel.
Early sailors navigated the oceans using the stars.
verbintransitive
To find your way to a place or along a route, especially when it is difficult.
Grammar: No object; often followed by through or to: navigate through the crowd.
Patterns
- navigate through something
- navigate to something
- navigate by something
She navigated through the busy market to reach the station.
We navigated by the map on our phones.
verbtransitivefigurative
To handle or deal with a difficult or complicated situation successfully.
Grammar: Takes an object: navigate a crisis, navigate the rules.
Patterns
- navigate something
- navigate a situation
- navigate through something
He navigated the tricky negotiation with skill.
Small businesses must navigate complex regulations.
verbintransitivecomputing
To move around a website or computer system to find what you need.
Grammar: No object; often followed by around or through: navigate around the site.
Patterns
- navigate around something
- navigate through something
- navigate to a page
Users can navigate easily around the new app.
Click here to navigate to the home page.
Word forms
| third person singular | navigates |
|---|---|
| past tense | navigated |
| past participle | navigated |
| -ing form | navigating |
Common combinations
- navigate a ship
- The pilot navigated the ship into the harbor.
- navigate through
- We navigated through the forest using a compass.
- navigate a crisis
- The government navigated the crisis without major protests.
- navigate by
- Birds navigate by the sun and stars.
- navigate around
- You can navigate around the website with the menu.
Synonyms and how they differ
- steer
- Steer focuses on controlling the direction of a vehicle; navigate often includes planning the whole route.
- pilot
- Pilot is used mainly for guiding ships or aircraft through difficult areas; navigate is more general.
- guide
- Guide means to show the way, often for people; navigate is more technical for vehicles or routes.
Word family
- navigation noun
- The act or science of finding your way.
- navigator noun
- A person who navigates, especially on a ship or aircraft.
- navigable adjective
- Describing a river or sea that is deep and wide enough for ships.
Commonly confused: navigate or navigate?
navigate vs navigate
Sometimes confused with 'navigator' (the person) or 'navigation' (the activity).
Practice
The captain had to ______ the ship through the stormy waters.
Choose one answer.
After 'had to', the base form 'navigate' is correct. 'Navigated' is past tense and would need a different auxiliary, while 'navigating' would need a form of 'be'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “navigate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.