Air Force

American  

noun

1. the U.S. department consisting of practically all military aviation forces, established July 26, 1947.

2. air force, a similar department in any military organization.

3. air force, (formerly) the largest unit in the U.S. Army Air Forces.

4. air force, a unit of U.S. Air Force command between an air division and an air command.

5. Sometimes air force the military unit of a nation charged with carrying out military operations in the air.

6. British. Royal Air Force.

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air force British  

noun

1. 1. the branch of a nation's armed services primarily responsible for air warfare

   2. ( as modifier )

      an air-force base

2. a formation in the US and certain other air forces larger than an air division but smaller than an air command

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Etymology

Origin of Air Force

First recorded in 1915–1920

Example Sentences

US Vice President JD Vance departed Pakistan aboard Air Force Two soon after saying that talks with Iran failed to reach an agreement after he put forward a "final and best offer".

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The company, founded in 2019, flew its first prototype, Quarterhorse Mk 1, in May 2025 during a short low-speed flight at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The idea, according to an Air Force recruitment video: “The survivor’s mission is to return, with honor.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

“We all know that past is prologue,” Weinstein, a former Air Force JAG officer and Reagan White House lawyer, told Salon.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

“We are approaching Andrews Air Force Base,” the pilot announced.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin