navigable

adjective

nav·​i·​ga·​ble ˈna-vi-gə-bəl How to pronounce navigable (audio)
1
a
: deep enough and wide enough to afford passage to ships
navigable waterways
b
: capable of being navigated
navigable terrain
2
: capable of being steered
navigability noun
navigably adverb

Examples of navigable in a Sentence

The marsh was navigable only by canoe. this map shows which rivers are navigable and which aren't
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The International Hydrographic Organization — of which both the United States and Mexico are members — works to ensure all the world’s seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them. Meg Kinnard, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025 But my second train trip, on the Andean Explorer, was going to go even higher, traveling from Cuzco up to the southeastern city of Puno, on the shore of Lake Titicaca — the highest navigable lake in the world. Monisha Rajesh, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024 The federal government's lawsuit hinges on a section in the U.S. Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 that says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must sign off on any plans to place a wharf, pier, boom breakwater, bulkhead, jetty or other structures in navigable waters. John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 15 May 2024 But then Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina withdrew, and American No. 20 seed Sebastian Korda went from facing a slightly maverick but ultimately navigable challenge to facing 51 aces, an average first-serve speed of 135 mph, and an average second-serve speed of 126 mph. Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 6 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for navigable 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of navigable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near navigable

Cite this Entry

“Navigable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/navigable. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

navigable

adjective
nav·​i·​ga·​ble ˈnav-i-gə-bəl How to pronounce navigable (audio)
1
a
: deep and wide enough to permit passage to ships
navigable rivers
b
: capable of being navigated
navigable terrain
2
: capable of being steered
a navigable balloon
navigability noun

More from Merriam-Webster on navigable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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