aerial

[ adjective air-ee-uh l, ey-eer-ee-uh l; noun air-ee-uh l ]

/ adjective ˈɛər i əl, eɪˈɪər i əl; noun ˈɛər i əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR aerial ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of, in, or produced by the air: aerial currents.

inhabiting or frequenting the air: aerial creatures.

operating on a track or cable elevated above the ground: an aerial ski lift up the mountainside.

reaching far into the air; high; lofty: aerial spires.

partaking of the nature of air; airy.

unsubstantial; visionary: aerial fancies.

having a light and graceful beauty; ethereal: aerial music.

Biology. growing in the air, as the adventitious roots of some trees.

pertaining to or used for, against, or in aircraft.

supplied or performed by means of aircraft: aerial support; aerial reconnaissance.

noun

a radio or television antenna.

Football. forward pass.

Nearby words

aerator, aere perennius, aerenchyma, aeri-, aeria, aerial, aerial ladder, aerial mine, aerial perspective, aerial photograph, aerial pingpong

Origin of aerial

1595–1605; 1900–05 for def 11; < Latin āeri(us) of the air (< Greek āérios, equivalent to āer- (stem of āḗr air¹) + -ios adj. suffix) + -al¹

Related forms

aer·i·al·ly, adverbaer·i·al·ness, nounsu·per·aer·i·al, adjectivesu·per·aer·i·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aerial

What the people of Mosul now fear most is aerial bombardment of their own city.
Has the Kurdish Victory at Sinjar Turned the Tide of ISIS War?|Niqash|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An aerial image shows what appears to be a spa, roiling water apparently carrying no nasty connotations.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built|Michael Daly|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The crime-fighting penguins, says the trailer, are “masters of the skies, espionage, and aerial assault.”
Lovable ‘Madagascar’ Penguins Are Known to Rape and Torture in Real Life|Asawin Suebsaeng|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And even that aerial effort is being shortchanged, military insiders tell The Daily Beast.
Drone ‘Shortage’ Hampers ISIS War|Dave Majumdar|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This one, for instance, opens with aerial video of Kobani shot from an “Islamic State drone.”
An ISIS Hostage on the Dark Side|Jamie Dettmer|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There were twenty-one entrants, and fully 300,000 spectators gathered to witness the initial flight of the aerial races.
Flying Machines|W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell
There was about it an undulating and aerial grace, such as one might dream of for some mythic and allegorical being.
Uncle Tom's Cabin|Harriet Beecher Stowe
The honor, such as it is, belongs to our aerial godfather, among whose lesser vices may be included that of practical joking.
High Adventure|James Norman Hall
As the restless flocks move about over the water, their aerial evolutions are well worth watching.
Life Histories of North American Shore Birds, Part 1 (of 2)|Arthur Cleveland Bent
His dwelling-place was "The aerial mountains, where the many horned and swiftly moving cattle abide."
A History of Pantomime|R. J. Broadbent

British Dictionary definitions for aerial

aerial

/ (ˈɛərɪəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling air

existing, occurring, moving, or operating in the airaerial cable car; aerial roots of a plant

ethereal; light and delicate

imaginary; visionary

extending high into the air; lofty

of or relating to aircraftaerial combat

noun

Also called: antenna the part of a radio or television system having any of various shapes, such as a dipole, Yagi, long-wire, or vertical aerial, by means of which radio waves are transmitted or received

Word Origin for aerial

C17: via Latin from Greek aērios, from aēr air

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012