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.
Air Force for chemical propulsion can also successfully power miniature electric thrusters known as electrospray thrusters.
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
That's not all the former Italian Air Force colonel brings to the table.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
When I was 16, my dad was transferred to McClellan Air Force Base, near Sacramento, Calif. We moved eight hours northwest to Carmichael, Calif. I was so upset.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
“They can watch it on television,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
The BFG looked down from his lofty perch and said, this time to the Head of the Air Force, ‘You is having bellypoppers, is you not?’
From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl
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.
