GPS

1 of 2

noun

ˌjē-(ˌ)pē-ˈes 

: a navigational system using satellite signals to fix the location of a radio receiver on or above the earth's surface

also : the radio receiver so used

GPS

2 of 2

abbreviation

gallons per second

Examples of GPS in a Sentence

Noun

The car comes with GPS.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

According to court records, bond was set at $100,000 on July 17, with conditions including a GPS monitor and house arrest with travel allowed to doctors’ appointments. — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 July 2026

Virtually all modern technologies, including the internet and GPS, have spontaneously adopted UTC. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 18 July 2026

There are plenty of smartwatch brands on the market, but one that often runs under the radar is Garmin, which made its name in GPS before venturing into wearables. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026

That decision helps to make Pulsar satellite signals work more readily with ground receivers and chipsets that are currently designed for L-band signals from GPS and other global navigation satellite systems. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Global Positioning System

First Known Use

Noun

1974, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

GPS

noun

ˌjē-ˌpē-ˈes

: a navigation system that uses satellite signals to find the location of a radio receiver on or above the earth's surface

also : a radio receiver used in a GPS system

Etymology

Noun

Global Positioning System