circumnavigate
gb/sɚkʌmnˈævɪɡˌeɪt/ us/sɚkʌmnˈævɪɡˌeɪt/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
formal
C1
action
1
travel all the way around
to go all the way around something
Usage pattern:
circumnavigate [place/object]
Common mistake:
Often confused with circumVENT (“avoid a rule/problem”). Also note the spelling: circum- + navigate.
Synonyms
sail around (More specific to travel by boat and less formal.)
|
go around (More general and less precise about a complete journey.)
|
make a circuit of (Formal; emphasizes completing a full loop.)
Antonyms
cross (Go over/across something instead of around it.)
|
traverse (Travel across an area rather than around its edge.)
Collocations
circumnavigate the globe
|circumnavigate the world
|circumnavigate the Earth
|circumnavigate the island
|circumnavigate the continent
|circumnavigate the moon
|circumnavigate in a yacht
|attempt to circumnavigate
|successfully circumnavigate
|first to circumnavigate
Themes
travel
|geography
|transport
|navigation
Examples
- In 1967, she became the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe solo.
- The expedition plans to circumnavigate the island by kayak over ten days.
- Apollo 8 was the first crewed mission to circumnavigate the Moon.
Learner examples
- They want to circumnavigate the world by boat.
- We circumnavigated the island in one day.
Verb
formal
C2
action
2
avoid by going around
to avoid something by not facing it directly
Usage pattern:
circumnavigate [problem/rule/issue]
Common mistake:
In this sense, circumVENT is much more common than circumnavigate.
Synonyms
circumvent (The usual verb for avoiding rules or obstacles in this sense.)
|
get around (Common and informal; suggests finding a workaround.)
|
bypass (Often implies skipping a step or avoiding a barrier.)
Antonyms
confront (Face the problem directly instead of avoiding it.)
|
comply with (Follow a rule rather than trying to avoid it.)
Collocations
circumnavigate the law
|circumnavigate regulations
|circumnavigate restrictions
|circumnavigate the rules
|circumnavigate a ban
|circumnavigate an obstacle
|circumnavigate the issue
|circumnavigate a requirement
Themes
communication
|law
|business
|problem_solving
Examples
- The company was accused of trying to circumnavigate export controls through intermediaries.
- He kept circumnavigating the real question with long, vague answers.
- The new policy closes loopholes that allowed firms to circumnavigate the restrictions.
Learner examples
- She tried to circumnavigate the rules.
- Stop circumnavigating the question.
Grammar
Dictionary form
circumnavigate
IPA
GB/sɚkʌmnˈævɪɡˌeɪt/
US/sɚkʌmnˈævɪɡˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
cir - cum - nav - ig - ate (5 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cum)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: circumnavigate
- 3rd Person Singular: circumnavigates
- Present Participle: circumnavigating
- Past: circumnavigated
Word family
Forms
circumnavigates
verb
circumnavigating
verb
circumnavigated
verb
Core family
circumnavigation
noun C1
Related words
Advanced or less common
circumnavigator
noun
Expressions
circumnavigate the globe
1/sɚkʌmnˈævɪɡˌeɪt ðə ɡlˈoʊb/
fixed phrase
formal
travel around the Earth
to go all the way around the Earth
Examples
- She hopes to circumnavigate the globe by sailboat before turning thirty.
- The airline promoted a ticket that lets you circumnavigate the globe with multiple stopovers.
circumnavigate the world
1/sɚkʌmnˈævɪɡˌeɪt ðə wˈɚld/
fixed phrase
formal
travel around the world
to go all the way around the world
Examples
- The documentary follows two friends as they circumnavigate the world on motorcycles.
- It took the crew fourteen months to circumnavigate the world.