navigation

noun

nav·​i·​ga·​tion ˌna-və-ˈgā-shən 

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 

adjective

navigationally adverb

Examples of navigation in a Sentence

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

Plus, enjoy the new Zelda Notes service in the Switch app, which offers in-game navigation tips and commentary from Princess Zelda herself. —Dave Quinn, People.com, 6 June 2025

Yet many startups still organize navigation based on internal logic rather than user behavior. —Daria Gonzalez, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025

Thousands of planes in the air, which use GPS among other systems for navigation and precision landing, would face a wave of uncertainty. —Wired News, 4 June 2025

Already, Google has features for shopping, navigation, data storage, work software, payment, travel—plus an array of smartphones, tablets, smart-home gadgets, and more. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing navigation

• celestial navigation

Rhymes for navigation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

navigation

noun

nav·​i·​ga·​tion ˌnav-ə-ˈgā-shən 

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 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective