WordGarden.ionavigator
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /nˈævɪɡˌeɪtə/
US
- /ˈnævəˌɡeɪtər/
Meanings
Noun
a person who plans or directs the route of a ship, aircraft, or expedition
a device or app that gives route guidance, especially GPS directions
a software tool or panel used to move through files, pages, or other digital content
Beyond the definition
A navigator is not just someone who reads maps, though that is often part of the job. A navigator is a person, device, or system that helps find the way and guides a course from one place to another. This can mean crossing the ocean in a ship, flying in an aircraft, or using a phone app to get through an unfamiliar city. Think of Odysseus guiding his crew home after the Trojan War; in that story, he acts like a skilled navigator.
The word comes from the Latin navigare, meaning "to sail." Today, we use it more broadly. A GPS device is a modern navigator, helping us find our way in places we do not know well. In a wider, figurative sense, the word can also describe someone who leads others through a difficult situation.
The word "navigator" originally referred to a person whose job was to plan and direct the course of a ship. Such a person used maps, compasses, sextants, and knowledge of the stars to guide a vessel across long distances. We often connect the word with sea travel and early exploration. "She was an experienced navigator, able to guide the ship safely through rough seas."
Over time, the term spread beyond travel by sea. Today, it can also mean a person, device, or system that helps guide movement from one place to another. In aircraft, a navigator may help plan the route and track position. In everyday life, a car GPS or phone app can be called a navigator because it gives directions and helps people avoid getting lost.
The word is also used in a wider, figurative way. Someone who helps others move through a confusing process can be described as a navigator. For example, a hospital navigator may help patients understand appointments, forms, and treatment steps. In the same way, a person who leads a team through a difficult period may be seen as guiding everyone in the right direction.
Because of that idea of guidance, the word often suggests skill, direction, and safe progress. It is not limited to maps and ships. It can describe real travel, tools that show the route, or people who help others get through unfamiliar territory, both literal and figurative.
So whether it is someone plotting a course at sea, a system giving turn-by-turn directions, or a person helping others through a hard process, a navigator helps show the way to a destination or goal.
Examples
- 1
Road directions
The navigator checked the map and told the driver to take the next exit.
- 2
Sea voyages
On long sea voyages, the navigator used the stars when the instruments failed.
- 3
Rally racing
In rally racing, the navigator reads the route while the driver focuses on the road.
- 4
GPS device
We rented a car with a built-in GPS navigator.
- PhraseGPS navigator
a device or app that gives directions
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Healthcare support
A patient navigator helped my father schedule tests and understand his treatment options.
- Domainpatient navigator
someone who helps patients deal with the healthcare system
- 6
Office politics
She is a skilled navigator of office politics.
- Patternnavigator of + difficult situation/system
someone good at finding a way through it
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- navigatornoun
Forms
- navigatorspluralnoun