Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

circumnavigate

/ˌsɝ.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.26 in modern English

Syllables: cir-cum-nav-i-gate
IPA: /ˌsɝ.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/

24

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

5

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To travel completely around somewhere or something (especially the Globe), especially by sail.

Transitive verb

verb

To circumvent or bypass.

Transitive verb

verb

To sail around the world.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"We circumnavigated the Mediterranean."
"On horses they circumnavigated the fields, comparing the progress of the harvest on the two halves."
"One of the things making the trip possible is Rutherford’s microlight aircraft. Microlights are small one or two-seat planes used for leisure or personal transport. If she completes her trip, Rutherford will also claim the record for the youngest person to circumnavigate the world solo in a microlight aircraft."
"Rebel of the tournament: Saudi Arabia’s Malek Al Hawsawi, who circumnavigated Fifa’s ban on jewellery by keeping his ring in his mouth."
"Patrick Childress, who solo circumnavigated on a Catalina 27 in 1982, stresses the value of eggs, which will keep at least six weeks if previously unrefrigerated and oiled with vegetable shortening."
"Jack and Lura Francis, both fairly tall, circumnavigated on a Westsail 32."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin circumnāvigātus, perfect passive participle of circumnāvigō (“sail round something, circumnavigate”), from circum (“about, around”) + nāvigō (“sail, navigate”), from nāvis (“ship”) + agō (“do”). By surface analysis, circum- + navigate.

Word Breakdown

Root: *h₂eǵ-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌsɝ.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/
British English: /ˌsə.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

circumnavigates (present, singular) circumnavigating (participle, present) circumnavigated (participle, past) circumnavigated (past)

Derived Forms

circumnavigatory uncircumnavigated

Frequently Paired Words

circumnavigation circumnavigator navigate circumaviate circumambulate circumscribe

Synonyms

compass environ go around

Rhymes With

navigate

Questions

How do you pronounce circumnavigate?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌsɝ.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/.
What does circumnavigate mean?: To travel completely around somewhere or something (especially the Globe), especially by sail.
Where does circumnavigate come from?: Borrowed from Latin circumnāvigātus, perfect passive participle of circumnāvigō (“sail round something, circumnavigate”), from circum (“about, around”) + nāvigō (“sail, navigate”), from nāvis (“ship”) + agō (“do”). By surface analysis, circum- + navigate.

How to pronounce circumnavigate

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌsɝ.kəmˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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