navigation

1 of 2

noun

nav·​i·​ga·​tion ˌna-və-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce navigation (audio)
1
: the act or practice of navigating
2
: the science of getting vehicles from place to place
especially : the method of determining position, course, and distance traveled
3
: ship traffic or commerce
navigational
ˌna-və-ˈgā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce navigation (audio)
adjective
navigationally adverb

navigational

2 of 2

adjective

nav·​i·​ga·​tion·​al
-shnəl
: of, relating to, or used in navigation
navigational difficulties
navigational astronomy
the navigational planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn
navigationally
-ᵊl|ē, 
-əl|, 
|i
adverb

Examples of navigation in a Sentence

Noun If you're going to be a good sailor you need to master navigation. I don't mind driving if you're willing to do the navigation. Our new car has an onboard navigation system. Navigation becomes more difficult further upriver. There are back and forward buttons for easier browser navigation.
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.
Noun
Its foundation is HiNAS Prime, an autonomous navigation system developed by Avikus, HD Hyundai’s autonomous navigation subsidiary. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026 The stratospheric platform has an auto-navigation system that allows the airship to fly on its own between point A and point B while accounting for factors like local wind conditions, Truong explained. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026 The simple industrial design gets a neat little accent in the form of a physical knob for adjusting playback, track navigation, and volume. — New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026 Across Russia and neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan and Belarus, outages have affected services ranging from online payments and business operations to search, navigation, ride-hailing and food delivery. — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for navigation

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of navigation was in 1547

Phrases Containing navigation

Rhymes for navigation

See All Rhymes for navigation

Browse Nearby Words

navigating officer
navigation
navigational
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Navigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/navigation. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

navigation

noun
nav·​i·​ga·​tion ˌnav-ə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce navigation (audio)
1
: the act or practice of navigating
2
: the science of getting ships, aircraft, or spacecraft from place to place
especially : the method of figuring out position, course, and distance traveled
navigational
-shnəl How to pronounce navigation (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on navigation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about navigation

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