circumnavigate

1 of 2

verb

cir·​cum·​nav·​i·​gate ˌsər-kəm-ˈna-və-ˌgāt How to pronounce circumnavigate (audio)
circumnavigated; circumnavigating; circumnavigates
Synonyms of circumnavigate

transitive verb

: to go completely around especially by water
circumnavigate the earth
also : to go around instead of through : bypass
circumnavigate a congested area
circumnavigation
ˌsər-kəm-ˌna-və-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce circumnavigate (audio)
noun
circumnavigator
ˌsər-kəm-ˈna-və-ˌgā-tər How to pronounce circumnavigate (audio)
noun

circumnavigator

2 of 2

noun

cir·​cum·​nav·​i·​ga·​tor ¦sər-kəm-¦na-və-ˌgā-tər How to pronounce circumnavigator (audio)
plural -s
: one that circumnavigates an object (as the earth)
disputed that Magellan was the first circumnavigator

Synonyms of circumnavigate

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of circumnavigate in a Sentence

Verb The ship circumnavigated the world. the first ship to circumnavigate the globe
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Gunn is another fifth-year player who has used the legal system to attempt to circumnavigate the NCAA’s restrictions on their eligibility. — Pj Green october 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026 Here again, actors deploying crypto’s financial heft crashed through boundaries that would have earlier been difficult for artists to circumnavigate without having achieved legitimacy through more conventional pathways in existing hierarchies. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Those gains, of course, allowed the club to partially circumnavigate La Liga’s spending controls so, even as the club lops off chunks of value from the asset each year, the Byzantine structure of it all has certainly served a purpose. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 On Kidman’s five-night Reykjavik-to-Reykjavik itinerary the ship circumnavigates the country. — Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circumnavigate

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin circumnavigatus, past participle of circumnavigare to sail around, from circum- + navigare to navigate

First Known Use

Verb

1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of circumnavigate was in 1634

Rhymes for circumnavigate

See All Rhymes for circumnavigate

Browse Nearby Words

circumnavigable
circumnavigate
circumnavigation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Circumnavigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circumnavigate. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

circumnavigate

verb
cir·​cum·​nav·​i·​gate ˌsər-kəm-ˈnav-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce circumnavigate (audio)
: to go completely around especially by water
circumnavigate the earth
also : to go around instead of through : bypass
circumnavigation
-ˌnav-ə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce circumnavigate (audio)
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vocation

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All