What does circumnavigable mean?
Circumnavigable is an adjective meaning able to be circumnavigated, or capable of being sailed or otherwise travelled around. It is commonly used of lakes, islands, routes, and other geographical features, as in “the lake is circumnavigable.” Although the word can be applied to a vessel or traveller in some contexts, its most established use describes something around which a complete journey can be made. The term has a formal, exploratory character and often appears in reports of geography, sailing, and expeditions. Its unusual combination of the widely understood idea of circumnavigation with the suffix “-able” makes it particularly useful when an speaker wants to state succinctly that a place or route can be traversed all the way around. It is related in meaning to navigable, but generally implies the more specific possibility of going around something rather than merely travelling through it.
adjectiveAble to be circumnavigated; capable of being sailed or travelled around.
- Able to be circumnavigated; capable of being sailed or travelled around.
"The expedition confirmed that the lake was circumnavigable in only three days."
"After several days, the crew established that the island was circumnavigable by boat."
"The engineers designed the canal system to create a circumnavigable route through the region."
Earth is the grandest example: our planet is circumnavigable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does circumnavigable come from?
Circumnavigable was formed in English by combining circumnavigate with the suffix “-able,” meaning “able to be.” The verb traces to Latin circum, “around,” and navigare, “to sail,” with navigare ultimately related to a root meaning “to know or recognize” as well as seafaring usage. The same Latin foundation appears in English words such as navigate, navigation, and navigator.
Related word forms
How circumnavigable is actually used
This is a relatively uncommon, formal adjective, usually used predicatively with constructions such as “the lake is circumnavigable.” It most often describes a body of water, island, route, or other feature that can be travelled around.