Circumvent Versus Circumnavigate
To go around in different ways.
“Circumvent’ and “circumnavigate” both start with the prefix ” circum-,” which comes from the Latin word “circum,” which means “around.”
“Circumvent” means to go around or bypass something; to avoid it.
“Circumnavigate” means to sail or fly around something.
So both “circumvent” and “circumnavigate” mean “to go around,” but “circumvent” means to go around in a way that you avoid something, and “circumnavigate” means to go around in way that you experience, explore, or travel through or over something.
Get more tips like this in The Grammar Devotional:
Print: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s
E-book: Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple iBook
About the Author
Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.” She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. She has appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. Her popular LinkedIn Learning courses help people write better to communicate better.
