the U.S. department consisting of practically all military aviation forces, established July 26, 1947.
air force, a similar department in any military organization.
air force, (formerly) the largest unit in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
air force, a unit of U.S. Air Force command between an air division and an air command.
Sometimes air force the military unit of a nation charged with carrying out military operations in the air.
British. Royal Air Force.
the branch of a nation's armed services primarily responsible for air warfare
( as modifier )
an air-force base
a formation in the US and certain other air forces larger than an air division but smaller than an air command
First recorded in 1915–1920
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another "PFAS hotspot" was found by water authority testing in the state's Blue Mountains world heritage area, close to an air force base, in 2024.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Apart from Li, the two other astronauts on the mission are Zhu Yangzhu, a 39-year-old space engineer and Zhang Zhiyuan, a former air force pilot, 39-year-old former air force pilot.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Prosecutors allege that Brown provided unauthorized training to China’s air force, including by speaking at a Beijing military conference on topics including the F-35 stealth fighter and the structure of the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
Prosecutors say he had an intermediary: a former Ecuadorian air force pilot who was working for a Chinese company, Stratos Aviation, to train Chinese air force pilots.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
Sonya was scolded for violating the air force Technical Maintenance Manual.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions 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.
