aeronautics
Americannoun
noun
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The design, construction and operation of aircraft.
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The scientific study of flight through the atmosphere.
Etymology
Origin of aeronautics
1820–25; < New Latin aeronautica or French aéronautique; see aero-, nautical, -ics
Explanation
If you have a passion for airplanes and other aircraft, you might be destined for a career in aeronautics, which is the study and design of flying machines within the atmosphere. Whether your interest lies in building aircraft or flying planes, you can describe your area of interest as aeronautics. The term aviation can also be used, although it typically doesn't include airships or dirigibles, like blimps and zeppelins. The word aeronautics literally means "sailing the air," from the Greek roots aero, "air," and nautikē, "navigation."
Vocabulary lists containing aeronautics
Flying High: Aviation Words
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Elements of the Universe: Aer, Aero ("Air")
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aer, aero
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On an even more ambitious note, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is pushing to develop nuclear energy on the surface of the moon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration approved Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max for use on the voyage, adding a consumer staple to the Nikon cameras and other devices loaded on the Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
The 30-year-old quit his job at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration last year to co-found Perseus Defense.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, has been in the news a lot lately, outlining its strategic objectives and preparing to fly astronauts to the moon and back in just a few days.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
The expanded mission called for a new name: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
