aircraft
Americannoun
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aircraft
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of aircraft
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How does aircraft compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A machine that can fly, held aloft in the air, is called an aircraft. Airplanes and helicopters are two types of aircraft. Some aircraft, such as helicopters, fly by using rotary wings — spinning blades that directly generate lift. Airplanes use engines to turn propellers or power gas turbines, providing the thrust needed to move air over their wings and create lift. Still other aircraft, including hot-air balloons, achieve lift through buoyancy, by using gases that are lighter than the surrounding air. Balloons and airships, including blimps and dirigibles, were actually the first vehicles referred to as aircraft, a term adapted from nautical terminology.
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.
The Royal Household has said she is an experienced pilot, having logged about 1,188 hours across several types of aircraft since she began flying in 2010.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
"These hearing tests give us that baseline and allow us to start asking how noises from ships, boats, aircraft and coastal construction might affect seals and sea lions."
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
She also co-piloted aircraft carrying the King on official visits to other countries, the Royal Household said.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
President George W. Bush later that month vowed to pursue fixes like fortifying cockpit doors and “technology to enable controllers to take over distressed aircraft and land it by remote control.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
When they spotted a group of German bombers, Lilya followed her leader straight into such a forceful attack that the Luftwaffe aircraft scattered.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
