-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
ambulate
verb
am·bu·late
ˈam-byə-ˌlāt
ambulated; ambulating
: to move from place to place : walk
She was hopeful that the surgery would improve her ability to ambulate.—
Anita Lewis and Joyce Sasson Levy
Synonyms
Examples of ambulate in a Sentence
a progressive disease that compromises a patient's ability to ambulate
Recent Examples on the Web
More than that, by actually living on the trail, Jack became, arguably, something unique: a hobo ambassador who was the AT’s living, breathing, ambulating encyclopedia.
—
Dan Koeppel, Outside Online, 5 Sep. 2019
Monitoring, toileting, hand-feeding, repositioning, ambulating, medication administration and wound care are left up to family caregivers.
—
Maria J Silveira, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2024
Following the film screening, guests ambulated across the street to the lavish Baccarat Hotel for champagne flutes and a raw bar.
—
Zachary Schwartz, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2024
When faced with the loss of a leg, ambulating again is essential to recovery both physically and psychologically.
—
Jothy Rosenberg, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
These rolling toys work on carpet, tile and wood floors and ambulate in a similar way to natural prey.
—
Jessica Hartshorn, Good Housekeeping, 14 June 2022
Sternburg who had recently recovered from a foot injury, was reappreciating her ability to ambulate at the same time as the world had withdrawn.
—
Tom Teicholz, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2021
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.
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin ambulātus, past participle of ambulāre "to go by foot, walk, walk for pleasure or exercise, travel" — more at amble entry 1
First Known Use
1598, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to ambulate
Dictionary Entries Near ambulate
Cite this Entry
“Ambulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambulate. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Medical Definition
ambulate
intransitive verb
am·bu·late
-ˌlāt
ambulated; ambulating
: to move from place to place
the patient was allowed to ambulate in her room
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share