navigate

Definition

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

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”).

Example Sentences

• "He navigated the bomber to the Ruhr."
• "Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began an investigation into four crashes of Teslas operating with a partial-automation system (which can navigate highways and steer the car on city streets but requires a licensed driver to be present), including one in which a pedestrian was killed. In a news release, NHTSA said reduced visibility may have led to the crashes."
• "You drive. I'll navigate."

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