pilot

American  

[pahy-luht] / ˈpaɪ lət /

noun

• pilots
  plural

1. a person duly qualified to steer ships into or out of a harbor or through certain difficult waters.

2. a person who steers a ship.

   Synonyms:

   helmsperson

3. Aeronautics. a person duly qualified to operate an airplane, balloon, or other aircraft.

4. a guide or leader.

   the pilot of the expedition.

5. coast pilot.

6. pilot light.

7. Machinery. a guide for centering or otherwise positioning two adjacent parts, often consisting of a projection on one part fitting into a recess in the other.

8. Railroads. cowcatcher.

9. Also called pilot film.  Also called pilot tape.  Television. a prototypical filmed or taped feature, produced with hopes of network adoption as a television series and aired to test potential viewer interest and attract sponsors.

10. a preliminary or experimental trial or test.

    The school will offer a pilot of its new computer course.

---

verb (used with object)

• pilots,
  present (3rd person singular)
• piloted,
  past participle,  past
• piloting
  present participle

1. to steer.

2. to lead, guide, or conduct, as through unknown places, intricate affairs, etc.

3. to act as pilot on, in, or over.

   Synonyms:

   manage, maneuver

4. to be in charge of or responsible for.

   We're looking for someone to pilot the new project.

adjective

1. serving as an experimental or trial undertaking prior to full-scale operation or use.

   a pilot project.

pilot British  

/ ˈpaɪlət /

noun

1. 1. a person who is qualified to operate an aircraft or spacecraft in flight

   2. ( as modifier )

      pilot error

2. 1. a person who is qualified to steer or guide a ship into or out of a port, river mouth, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pilot ship

3. a person who steers a ship

4. a person who acts as a leader or guide

5. machinery a guide, often consisting of a tongue or dowel, used to assist in joining two mating parts together

6. machinery a plug gauge for measuring an internal diameter

7. films a colour test strip accompanying black-and-white rushes from colour originals

8. an experimental programme on radio or television

9. See pilot film

10. (modifier) used in or serving as a test or trial

    a pilot project

11. (modifier) serving as a guide

    a pilot beacon

---

verb

1. to act as pilot of

2. to control the course of

3. to guide or lead (a project, people, etc)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unpiloted
  adjective
• well-piloted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pilots
  plural

Participles

• piloting
  present
• piloted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pilot
  simple
• pilots
  simple
• have piloted
  perfect
• has piloted
  perfect
• am piloting
  progressive
• are piloting
  progressive
• is piloting
  progressive
• have been piloting
  perfect progressive
• has been piloting
  perfect progressive

Past

• piloted
  simple
• had piloted
  perfect
• was piloting
  progressive
• were piloting
  progressive
• had been piloting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pilot
  simple
• will have piloted
  perfect
• will be piloting
  progressive
• will have been piloting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of pilot

First recorded in 1520–30; earlier pylotte, from Middle French pillotte, from Italian pilota, dissimilated variant of pedota, from unattested Medieval Greek pēdṓtēs “steersman,” equivalent to pēd(á) “rudder” (plural of pēdón “oar”) + -ōtēs agent suffix

Explanation

A pilot leads the way. An aircraft pilot flies a plane, and a maritime pilot steers a ship. Also, to pilot is to guide to safety, like to navigate a ship out of a harbor or through a sea of zombies. Pilot comes from the Greek pēdon meaning "oar." Like an oar that steers a ship, a pilot steers or directs a plane. A pilot can also be a model or basis for others of its kind. A school might launch a pilot breakfast program for a few students before introducing it to the whole school. The pilot episode of a TV show is like a test program produced to determine viewer interest before making a whole season.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pilot pilots piloted piloting

Rideout had been working in Niger as a Christian missionary for 19 years and was also a pilot for SIM International, which operates in more than 70 countries.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Earlier in the day, a Jetstar pilot was forced to apply the brakes suddenly to avoid crashing into a Qatar Airways jet.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

There’s his first line: “Fog took ’im,” Wyck says as the explanation for another fisherman’s mysterious disappearance in the pilot, delivered with utmost seriousness yet still landing like a punchline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

A Michigan spokesman declined to comment about how the university reached the decision to enact the pilot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The story goes that the German fighter pilot she’d shot down was captured on the ground.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Hal and John also stand apart from other test pilots, Marines and field experts in ways that make them not merely suitable choices for superheroic duty but worthy of it.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said late Saturday that it isn’t holding the pilots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Most strikingly, the pilots did not realise that their performance had deteriorated, the study found.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Gen Bagherzadeh said the three pilots had been captured by Qatar after they ejected from their jets during the combat mission on a Qatari military base.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Soon the young fighter pilots at Engels were practicing shooting at targets and working on aerobatic loops and rolls.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Kometer said it should be a tarmac rally stage while professional stunt driver and Long Beach local Sarah Fairfield, who piloted the second ’26 MX-5 on this trip, equated it to a roller coaster.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, told AFP "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."

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 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

Two men who piloted overcrowded small boats have been jailed for endangering others while crossing the Channel.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Volpe has been written up numerous times in The Philadelphia Inquirer—big feature stories when he piloted Les Mis and Cameron Mackintosh came to Levittown, and again when he was the first to do Rent.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

It means 10 people have now been sentenced under a law targeting those who risk the safety of others by piloting small boats since it came into force in January.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is piloting a program to pay companies and providers—including those offering mental-health-focused AI chatbots, like Headspace—modest set rates tied to health outcomes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

The insurer is piloting an AI assistant for customers reporting auto losses, according to an internal State Farm report on takeaways from the Vegas convention reviewed by the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Neither men were accused of organising a crossing, nor did they make any profit from piloting their boats.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

They snuggled together, and before the scene where Commander Calvados wins over the respect of the crew by piloting the ship through a black hole, they’d both fallen asleep.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• aviator
• captain
• flier
• leader
• navigator