aviator
Americannoun
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aviators
plural
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a pilot of an airplane or other heavier-than-air aircraft.
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aviators, aviator glasses.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of aviator
1885–90; < French aviateur. See aviation ( def. ), -eur ( def. )
Explanation
An aviator is a pilot. Every aircraft you see in the sky has an aviator in it. Aviation is the science that makes airplanes and other vehicles that fly through the air. An aviator is someone who flies one of those vehicles. This is kind of an old-fashioned word: these days, you're much more likely to hear aviators referred to as pilots. Some aviators work for airlines, while others own private planes. Helicopters and blimps have aviators too.
Vocabulary lists containing aviator
July Words
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A Farewell To Arms
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They Both Die at the End
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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.
See Examples For:
DELHI—As an aviator, Smit Machchhar had piloted through an in-flight birth, turbulent monsoon skies and a high-wire landing in Greece that stretched his skills to the limit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Damon Herriman plays a cult leader in the image of David Koresh, complete with aviator glasses and rock star dreams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
With her iconic aviator sunglasses and long, blonde streaked hair - which she considered rebellious in the 1970s - Steinem was an internationally recognised activist in the fight for women's equality.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
In addition to her highly public activism, Steinem’s signature style, defined by her large aviator glasses and long hair, made her a sought-after TV guest star and documentary interview.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
He pulled a flask of nectar from his aviator jacket and poured a little on Hazel’s hands.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
The segment, which aired on Sunday, is the first time one of the aviators involved in the April incident over Iran has spoken out about their ordeal.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The US National Agricultural Aviation Association, which represents crop dusting pilots, says small uncrewed aircraft can be hard for its aviators to see.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
“Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the President in harm’s way,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Trump highlighted the successful rescue of two U.S. aviators whose plane was shot down by Iran.
From Barron's ● Apr. 6, 2026
“This here squadron here is the toughest bunch of Marine aviators ever assembled on this here God’s green earth here,” Sammy bellowed.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
