the U.S. department consisting of practically all military aviation forces, established July 26, 1947.
air force, a similar department in any military organization.
air force, (formerly) the largest unit in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
air force, a unit of U.S. Air Force command between an air division and an air command.
Sometimes air force the military unit of a nation charged with carrying out military operations in the air.
British. Royal Air Force.
the branch of a nation's armed services primarily responsible for air warfare
( as modifier )
an air-force base
a formation in the US and certain other air forces larger than an air division but smaller than an air command
First recorded in 1915–1920
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The first time I heard it I was expecting that the Nigerian Air Force... had come to rescue us," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat is an uncrewed aircraft, developed with the Royal Australian Air Force, to fly alongside crewed fighter jets carrying out electronic warfare and surveillance and to help multiply forces.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
At the same time, the prices of Air Jordan 1s and Air Force 1s on the platform have recovered, a sign the market is no longer oversupplied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Trump’s remarks were made as he traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend a dignified transfer of U.S. service members killed in the war.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Nope. I’ve already been offered an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy.”
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
A surface-to-air battery operated by Greek personnel in Saudi Arabia downed two ballistic missiles and a drone over Yanbu, the Greek air force media office said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
The breakthrough came after researchers uncovered records from a public hearing in Puerto Rico, including a map drawn by air force pilots who had witnessed the crash, which helped narrow down the search area.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
AFP journalists in Kyiv heard explosions moments after the Ukrainian air force warned residents via Telegram of incoming ballistic missiles.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Ukraine's air force issues a daily tally of the weapons Moscow launches alongside the number intercepted.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
This hand-me-down British Sea Fury constituted a significant portion of Cuba’s entire air force.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
