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.

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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

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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.

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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

GE Aerospace stock declined 23% from early March to April 22, following revised air travel growth expectations and Middle East concerns.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Vernova’s backlog was about $115 billion in the middle of 2024, shortly after GE Vernova’s spinoff from GE Aerospace.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

The shutdown would affect about 300 workers, including 204 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

“Workers should not be the last in line when a company fails,” the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

The Air Force must have been wondering the same thing too, because at this time they renamed the Test Pilot School and started calling it by a much more fancy name—the Aerospace Research Pilot School.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins