aircraft
Americannoun
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aircraft
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of aircraft
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How does aircraft compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A machine that can fly, held aloft in the air, is called an aircraft. Airplanes and helicopters are two types of aircraft. Some aircraft, such as helicopters, fly by using rotary wings — spinning blades that directly generate lift. Airplanes use engines to turn propellers or power gas turbines, providing the thrust needed to move air over their wings and create lift. Still other aircraft, including hot-air balloons, achieve lift through buoyancy, by using gases that are lighter than the surrounding air. Balloons and airships, including blimps and dirigibles, were actually the first vehicles referred to as aircraft, a term adapted from nautical terminology.
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.
The aircraft came down in a parking lot near a self-storage facility in Chatsworth, a community in the San Fernando Valley.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
To intercept them, Ukraine is using combat aircraft, including F-16s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Aviation experts told The Times the crash might be the result of a mechanical failure with the 22-year-old aircraft, a common helicopter for news and law enforcement organizations because of its general reliability.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
A scorched aircraft and charred storage container were being examined at the scene of the incident on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
When the regiment was flying combat missions, the armorers had to service the aircraft two or three times every day.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
