gps

IPA/ˌdʒiː piː ˈes/
KK[ɡˈipiˈɛs]IPA/ˌdʒiː piː ˈes/

gps — noun

1. a system that finds the exact location of people, vehicles, or objects on Earth

1.nounB1
Definition

a system that finds the exact location of people, vehicles, or objects on Earth using signals sent from satellites in space

Example

Theo turned on the GPS in his car before driving home.

turn on the GPS — common verb collocation

Leila used her phone's GPS to find a coffee shop she had never visited.

check / use the GPS on a phone

Common collocations
  • turn on the GPS
  • use the GPS
  • GPS signal
  • GPS coordinates
  • GPS device
  • GPS navigation
  • GPS tracker
Synonyms
  • satellite navigation

    the full non-abbreviated term; more formal but interchangeable in most contexts

  • sat nav

    British informal shortening of 'satellite navigation', common in UK but less used in US

  • navigation system

    broader term that may include non-satellite methods (e.g., inertial navigation), not specific to GPS

Grammar Patterns

the GPS / a GPS

GPS + noun (GPS device, GPS signal)

Common Mistakes

I bought a GPS for my car.
I bought a GPS device / GPS navigation system for my car.
GPS is a system or technology, not a physical object; use 'GPS device' or 'GPS navigation system' for the hardware.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

GPS (Global Positioning System) is the specific name of the US satellite-based navigation system, but in everyday English it has become a generic term for any satellite positioning technology. 'Satellite navigation' (or 'sat nav' in British English) is a broader category that includes GPS as well as other systems like Russia's GLONASS or Europe's Galileo. 'Satellite navigation' sounds more formal and is common in technical writing, while 'GPS' is used freely in casual speech and product names. 'Navigation system' is the most general — it could refer to map-based, inertial, or radio-based systems that do not involve satellites at all. For example: 'The car's GPS suggested a faster route' (specific technology), but 'The aircraft uses an inertial navigation system when satellite signals are unavailable' (different technology entirely).

satellite navigationsat navnavigation system

Common collocations

Nouns

  • GPS device
  • GPS system
  • GPS technology
  • GPS signal
  • GPS coordinates
  • GPS tracker
  • GPS navigation

Phrases

  • turn on the GPS
  • use the GPS
  • rely on GPS
  • lose the GPS signal

Prepositions

  • with GPS
  • by GPS
  • via GPS

Etymology

Englishacronym

GPS is an acronym for 'Global Positioning System', a satellite-based navigation system developed by the United States Department of Defense. The system was first proposed in the 1960s, with the first satellite launched in 1978, and it became fully operational in 1995. The name was chosen because the system provides positioning information anywhere on the globe, at any time. Over time, 'GPS' has become a generic term for any satellite navigation technology in everyday language.

First known use

1974

1974, in the meaning defined above