navigator
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person on a ship or aircraft who is responsible for finding the correct direction and path.
a crew member or officer responsible for the navigation of a vessel or aircraft.
Simple“The navigator checked the charts to make sure the ship was still on course.”
In context“During the long-haul flight, the navigator constantly monitored the wind speeds and adjusted the flight path to conserve fuel.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a device, like a GPS in a car, that shows you the way to a destination.
an electronic device or software system that provides directions and tracks the position of a vehicle.
Simple“I entered the hotel address into the car's navigator before we started driving.”
In context“The satellite navigator recalculated the route within seconds after the driver missed the turn-off for the motorway.”
UsageOften shortened to 'satnav' in British English.
SynonymsGPSsatnav - 03 C1 Advanced
a part of a computer program that helps you move through different files or pages.
a graphical user interface element designed to facilitate movement through a complex data structure or website.
Simple“Use the navigator on the left side of the screen to find your documents.”
In context“The software update included a sidebar navigator that allowed users to jump between project folders without closing their current window.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
a worker who helped build canals or railways a long time ago.
a manual labourer employed in the construction of major civil engineering projects such as canals or railways.
Simple“Thousands of navigators worked in difficult conditions to build the new canal system.”
In context“The local museum features an exhibit on the navigators who hand-dug the regional railway tunnels during the nineteenth century.”
UsageUsually shortened to 'navvy' in historical contexts.
Teacher's tipThis sense is strictly historical; modern learners will almost exclusively encounter the word in maritime or technological contexts.
Synonymsnavvylabourer
“GUIDE stands for Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience and is a new Medicare program that provides a trained dementia care navigator to individuals affected by dementia.”
“When Portuguese navigators reached the region, they noticed its small, grapelike, air-filled bladders that keep the seaweed afloat.”
From Latin nāvigātor. By surface analysis, navigate + -or.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.