To plan, control and record the position and course of a vehicle, ship, aircraft, etc., on a journey; to follow a planned course.
"The captain carefully navigated the ship through the narrow channel despite the heavy fog."
In plain English: To navigate means to find your way through a place or situation.
"She uses GPS to navigate through the busy city streets."
Usage: Use navigate to describe steering a physical vehicle or guiding someone through a specific location like a city or website. Avoid using it for general travel plans or abstract life journeys unless you are specifically referring to finding your way through a complex system.
Example Sentences
"She uses GPS to navigate through the busy city streets."verb
"She learned to navigate the busy city streets with ease during her first week alone."verb
"The app helps you navigate through traffic by suggesting faster routes in real time."verb
"It can be difficult for new employees to navigate the complex company policies without guidance."verb
Navigate entered English in 1588 as a borrowing from Latin. The word originally referred to the act of sailing or steering a ship, derived from roots meaning "ship" and "to make."