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Synonyms

aircraft carrier

American  

noun

  1. a warship equipped with a large open deck for the taking off and landing of warplanes and with facilities to carry, service, and arm them.

aircraft carrier British  

noun

  1. a warship built with an extensive flat deck space for the launch and recovery of aircraft

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of aircraft carrier

First recorded in 1915–20

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.

Warships involved include the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship and several guided-missile destroyers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Navy has significant firepower in the region that could support the blockade, including an aircraft carrier, multiple guided-missile destroyers, an amphibious assault ship and several other warships, according to Navy and Central Command officials.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

"We are going to build an aircraft to succeed the Rafale. It must be capable of carrying out missions and operating from an aircraft carrier," he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

The US Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, arrived in Croatia for repairs on Saturday after a fire on board injured sailors and caused significant damage.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Navy planes on the aircraft carrier Essex were ready to go.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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.