airborne
Americanadjective
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carried by the air, as pollen or dust.
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in flight; aloft.
The plane was airborne by six o'clock.
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Military. (of ground forces) carried in airplanes or gliders: abn
airborne infantry.
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Aeronautics. (of an aircraft) supported entirely by the atmosphere; flying.
adjective
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conveyed by or through the air
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(of aircraft) flying; in the air
Etymology
Origin of airborne
Explanation
Something that's airborne is flying through the air. A soaring seagull is airborne, and so is a rock launched from a slingshot. If you've ever tried parachuting from an airplane, you've been airborne, sailing through the sky, and when the plane itself takes off from the runway, it becomes airborne. On a windy day at the beach, people's umbrellas and towels sometimes become airborne. Bourne here is the past tense of bear, or "carry," so when something is airborne, it's carried by the air.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Svitlana, 48, a nurse in an airborne assault unit, also saw the arrival of Drapaty -- a respected "combat officer" -- as "positive."
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
The pilots themselves bring with them experience and an airborne perspective which will carry significant weight in decision making.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Experts say to avoid using leaf blowers if ash is present in the garden because they can send particles airborne.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
To determine what happens to these chemicals during fireworks displays, researchers measured amines in both gases and airborne particles during Lunar New Year celebrations in a suburban area of China.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 4, 2026
He said something about a British airborne division seizing bridgeheads and two American airborne divisions stopping enemy troops from moving into the Cotentin Peninsula.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
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.
