navigable

adjective

nav·​i·​ga·​ble ˈna-vi-gə-bəl 

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

ˌna-vi-gə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

navigably

ˈna-vi-gə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• negotiable
• passable

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

The agency works to ensure all the world’s seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025

In the Arctic, two shipping lanes are navigable during the summer — Northwest Passage or Northern Sea Route (which transits Canada and the U.S.) and Northeast Passage (which follows the Russian Arctic coast and continues into Europe). —Deena Zaidi, Quartz, 16 Jan. 2025

Near the highest point of the loop is a trail (approximately 0.5 miles) that leads up through Old St. Hilary’s Preserve, which is navigable by a network of trails. —Daniel Bromfield, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025

The Milwaukee River is navigable with lots of public access while the Menomonee River is the one that made the city an industrial hub. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

navigable

adjective

nav·​i·​ga·​ble ˈnav-i-gə-bəl 

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

ˌnav-i-gə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun