ambulate

verb

am·​bu·​late ˈam-byə-ˌlāt How to pronounce ambulate (audio)
ambulated; ambulating
Synonyms of ambulatenext

intransitive verb

: 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

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Examples of ambulate in a Sentence

a progressive disease that compromises a patient's ability to ambulate
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.
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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ambulate was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

ambulate
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Cite this Entry

“Ambulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambulate. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

ambulate

intransitive verb
am·​bu·​late -ˌlāt How to pronounce ambulate (audio)
ambulated; ambulating
: to move from place to place
the patient was allowed to ambulate in her room
ambulation
ˌam-byə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce ambulate (audio)
noun
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