airplane
Americannoun
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airplanes
plural
-
a heavier-than-air aircraft kept aloft by the upward thrust exerted by the passing air on its fixed wings and driven by propellers, jet propulsion, etc.
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any similar heavier-than-air aircraft, as a glider or helicopter.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of airplane
1870–75, for an earlier sense; alteration of aeroplane, with air 1 replacing aero-
Compare meaning
How does airplane compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An airplane is a flying vehicle that has fixed wings and engines or propellers that thrust it forward through the air. It's most common when you travel long distances to take an airplane. An airplane is the form of transportation you'll probably choose when you need to go from New York to California — it's the fastest and safest way to get there. Commercial airplanes are flown by a pilot and staffed by a crew. In Britain, it's still called an aeroplane, from the Greek aero-, "air," and French planer, "to soar," by way of the French aéroplane.
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.
See Examples For:
Seven minutes later, they changed the alert to a code signaling unlawful interference—used to describe attempts to jeopardize the safety of the airplane, like hijacking or hostage taking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Airlines are overhauling their airplane cabins to tap in to growing demand for travel luxuries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
"The pilots remain in control of the airplane," Bedford said of the new software defect.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration told airplane passengers to check its website for travel updates, telling AFP there is "always a chance for restrictions depending on the weather."
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
He loudly closed their copy of the paper airplane book.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
At least two airplanes were struck in the latest attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The kinds of actuators currently made at scale in the U.S. are designed for airplanes or cars, experts say.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Soybean oil becomes biodiesel and aviation fuel, powering school buses and commercial airplanes.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Overhead, airplanes screech across a fat blue sky in a hurry to who knows where.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Apparently these women performed mathematical calculations for the engineers at the Lab, who were trying to build state-of-the-art airplanes to keep our nation safe.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
