airliner
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of airliner
Explanation
If you've ever taken a trip that began or ended at an airport, then chances are that your journey included flying on an airliner — a big, commercial airplane that transports passengers across cities, countries, and continents. An airliner plays a crucial role in connecting people and places, making travel over long distances accessible and convenient. A nonstop trip from New York to Hawaii — a distance of more than 5,000 miles — can be made in about 12 hours on an airliner. Early airliners had spacious seats and legroom, along with amenities like piano lounges. Most of today's airliners have fewer amenities and more seats for paying passengers. Smaller airliners carry about 100–135 passengers, while larger airliners can carry up to about 850 passengers!
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.
If Ford came out with a great car design or Boeing with a superb airliner, they needed to invest in factories to keep up with demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
“Superpower accelerates AI data center development by providing gigawatts of new capacity and advances the development and certification of the Overture supersonic airliner by providing engine reliability data,” the statement added.
From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025
The trial of a Libyan man accused of making the bomb that destroyed an American airliner over Lockerbie could be delayed until spring next year.
From BBC • May 31, 2025
The next-generation airliner was billions of dollars over budget and three years late.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025
An airliner some thirty miles away reported being pelted with rocks.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
