aircraft
Americannoun
noun
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.
That’s roughly a third of American’s fleet of 1,594 planes, including owned and leased aircraft as well as jets operated by its regional carriers.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
According to military records cited in prosecution documents, Brown flew aircraft including F-15 and F-16 fighters and the A-10, a single-seat ground-attack jet.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
In the separate incident last month, a Russian Su-35 fighter approached a Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft, getting close enough to trigger its emergency systems, disabling its autopilot.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
Based in the United Kingdom, GKN Aerospace manufactures landing gears, jet engines and other materials for commercial and military aircraft.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
And in addition to classes, in weather that grew colder and stormier every day, the pilots were given flight tests to decide which aircraft they’d be best suited for.
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.
