circumnavigate
circumnavigate Lexical Profile
circumnavigate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To sail, fly, or travel all the way around something, especially the world or an island.
"Ferdinand Magellan organized the first expedition to successfully circumnavigate the globe in the sixteenth century."
To go around or avoid an obstacle, difficulty, or awkward topic.
"Hikers had to carefully circumnavigate the fallen boulders blocking the narrow mountain trail."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'circumnavigate' with 'circumvent': 'circumnavigate' primarily means to travel all the way around a physical expanse, whereas 'circumvent' is the standard word for finding a clever way around a rule, law, or restriction.
• Rhymes for circumnavigate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Latin 'circumnavigatus', the past participle of 'circumnavigare', formed from 'circum-' (around) and 'navigare' (to sail).