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.
At the same time, the prices of Air Jordan 1s and Air Force 1s on the platform have recovered, a sign the market is no longer oversupplied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Two brand-new Boeing Air Force Ones are due to be delivered later this decade after a series of delays and cost overruns.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
He later said the Qatari-gifted Air Force One needed to be sent off for a month to be "maxed out."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Trump’s remarks were made as he traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend a dignified transfer of U.S. service members killed in the war.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Nixon got on the phone to an Air Force meteorologist and was told there’d likely be a clearing between four thirty and four forty-five.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The breakthrough came after researchers uncovered records from a public hearing in Puerto Rico, including a map drawn by air force pilots who had witnessed the crash, which helped narrow down the search area.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
AFP journalists in Kyiv heard explosions moments after the Ukrainian air force warned residents via Telegram of incoming ballistic missiles.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
France also dispatched its air force acrobatics team to the United States this month to mark the 250th anniversary.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Footage shows the moment a wild elephant attacked a bus carrying air force personnel in Sri Lanka.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Dad left the air force after he got married because he wanted to make a fortune for his family, and you couldn’t do that in the military.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
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.
