circumnavigate

verb

cir·​cum·​nav·​i·​gate ˌsər-kəm-ˈna-və-ˌgāt 

circumnavigated; circumnavigating; circumnavigates

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 

noun

circumnavigator

ˌsər-kəm-ˈna-və-ˌgā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• traverse
• circle
• orbit
• encircle
• cross
• circumvent
• circuit

Examples of circumnavigate in a Sentence

The ship circumnavigated the world.

the first ship to circumnavigate the globe

Recent Examples on the Web

The route for the boat, which would require recharging, could be to circumnavigate Manhattan. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 28 June 2025

The two-company model was devised to circumnavigate and comply with anachronistic regulatory restrictions. —Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

Part of making the students love a text was circumnavigating their first reactions to it. —Hazlitt, 11 June 2025

His growing list of endurance achievements includes conquering the more than 3,000 miles across America between Los Angles and New York, circumnavigating Lake Como in Italy, and running the length of the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats. —George Ramsay, CNN Money, 10 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for circumnavigate

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate

Kids Definition

circumnavigate

verb

cir·​cum·​nav·​i·​gate ˌsər-kəm-ˈnav-ə-ˌgāt 

: to go completely around especially by water

circumnavigate the earth

also : to go around instead of through : bypass

circumnavigation

-ˌnav-ə-ˈgā-shən 

noun