Meaning & use
sat nav
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountableBritishinformal
a device or app that uses satellite signals to show you the way when you are driving
Grammar: Can be countable ('a sat nav') or uncountable ('by sat nav').
Patterns
- use sat nav
- a sat nav system
- follow the sat nav
I borrowed my brother's sat nav for the trip to Scotland.
The sat nav told us to turn left, but the road was closed.
We got lost because the sat nav stopped working.
noununcountableBritishinformal
the system of satellite navigation itself
Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the technology: 'by sat nav', 'sat nav technology'.
Patterns
- by sat nav
- sat nav technology
Modern cars often come with sat nav built in.
You can find the hotel easily by sat nav.
Sat nav has made map reading less common.
Word forms
| plural | sat navs |
|---|
Common combinations
- follow the sat nav
- Just follow the sat nav and you'll get there.
- sat nav app
- I use a sat nav app on my phone instead of a separate device.
- built-in sat nav
- The hire car had a built-in sat nav.
- rely on sat nav
- Don't rely on sat nav alone; keep a map as backup.
Synonyms and how they differ
- GPS
- GPS is the more common term in American English and can also mean the satellite system itself.
- navigation system
- Navigation system is more formal and can refer to any system for finding your way, not just satellite-based ones.
Word family
- satellite navigation noun
- The full, formal term for the technology.
Commonly confused: sat nav or GPS?
sat nav vs GPS
GPS stands for Global Positioning System and is the American term; sat nav is the British term for the same thing.
Practice
We didn't know the way, so we used the ______ to find the hotel.
Choose one answer.
'Sat nav' is the device that gives directions. A 'satellite' is the object in space, a 'signal' is what it sends, and a 'network' is a system of connected things.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sat nav”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.