air power

American  

noun

1. the total military capability of a nation for operations involving the use of aircraft and missiles.

---

air power British  

noun

1. the strength of a nation's air force

---

Etymology

Origin of air power

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Some US analysts have described the loss of an F-15E deep inside Iranian territory, followed by the destruction of several rescue aircraft, as showing the limitations of the US air power.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

"This is a new type of approach to air power where you have a crewed fighter giving directions to four or five Ghost Bats flying in formation with it," he said.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Even Kosovo, often cited as the success story of coercive air power, undermines the case.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

We are all familiar with the historical record: Achieving regime change remotely—through air power alone—is an extraordinarily long probability.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

As the necessity for compressed air power grew, inventors turned their attention to the construction of air-compressing engines that would combine efficiency with light weight and economy of space and cost.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 799, April 25, 1891 by Various