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.
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
Paired side-by-side in the “Neapolitan” dance in the ballroom episode, they vied in friendly competition for the most vertiginous turns and the most airborne jumps.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
Environmental Protection Agency deployed air monitors to assess particulate matter, airborne toxic metals and other harmful compounds during the early days of the blaze.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
Traditionally, the U.S. military has tracked airborne threats, such as missiles and drones, by flying aircraft over areas of interest.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026
They were already airborne, coming in like a wave of guided missiles.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
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.
