aerospace

American  

[air-oh-speys] / ˈɛər oʊˌspeɪs /

noun

1. the atmosphere and the space beyond considered as a whole.

2. the industry concerned with the design and manufacture of aircraft, rockets, missiles, spacecraft, etc., that operate in aerospace.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to aerospace or the aerospace industry.

aerospace British  

/ ˈɛərəˌspeɪs /

noun

1. the atmosphere and space beyond

2. (modifier) of or relating to rockets, missiles, space vehicles, etc, that fly or operate in aerospace

   the aerospace industry

---

aerospace Scientific  

/ âr′ō-spās′ /

1. Relating to the Earth's atmosphere and the space beyond.

2. Relating to the science and technology of flight and space travel.

---

Etymology

Origin of aerospace

First recorded in 1955–60; aero- + space

Explanation

The science of airplanes and rockets is known as aerospace. If you're interested in launching rockets or building jets, you should consider a career in aerospace. The term aerospace was coined in the U.S. during the mid-20th century, from aeronautics, the study of planes and other flying machines, and spaceflight. The aerospace industry includes a lot of flying craft, including commercial airplanes, unpowered gliders, military jets, missiles, and space shuttles. Aerospace engineers design these vehicles and develop ways to make them safer and more efficient, as well as testing and maintaining them.

Example Sentences

The dream for some Camden residents and officials is that their town gets national recognition one day as an aerospace and defense hub, with similar stature to Huntsville, Ala.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Sales of transportation equipment rose 6%, and Canadian production of aerospace products and parts hit its highest level on record.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

In fact, there was little substantive to emerge from the summit between President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping that ended Friday, despite hopes that the meeting would result in deals from aerospace to semiconductors.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

A US aerospace company has announced plans to buy a satellite earth station in Cornwall.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

But Jim, who had studied mechanical engineering with an aerospace emphasis, wasn’t a computer geek.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel