the U.S. department consisting of practically all military aviation forces, established July 26, 1947.
air force, a similar department in any military organization.
air force, (formerly) the largest unit in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
air force, a unit of U.S. Air Force command between an air division and an air command.
Sometimes air force the military unit of a nation charged with carrying out military operations in the air.
British. Royal Air Force.
the branch of a nation's armed services primarily responsible for air warfare
( as modifier )
an air-force base
a formation in the US and certain other air forces larger than an air division but smaller than an air command
First recorded in 1915–1920
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Air Force was created as an independent branch of the armed forces in 1947, inspired and instantly strengthened by the belief that air power can win modern wars without the messy skirmishes of ground troops.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
Air Force to build its prototype, and is backed by Northrop Grumman and RTX, which is providing Pratt & Whitney engines for the first demonstrator.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The results included $280 million in losses on the VC-25B program for the presidential plane, Air Force One, which has been beset by delays and cost overruns.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One Monday, Trump said he has “plenty of time” to deal with Iran and that “we are talking right now,” adding, “there’s a good chance that something could happen.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
We also knew Conners wouldn’t dare die and leave us humiliated in that Air Force BOQ.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
The air force said it had intercepted 54 out of 61 Russian cruise missiles fired, and 265 out of 284 Russian long-range drones based on the Iranian Shahed design.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Ukraine's air force said it managed to intercept 55 missiles and 265 drones launched by Moscow.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Located near Russia and Iran, and with growing tension with Israel, Turkey faces a range of aerial threats and has long been seeking to upgrade its air force including by acquiring the highly advanced F-35.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Ukraine's air force issues a daily tally of the weapons Moscow launches alongside the number intercepted.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Mom walked up to the air force men and told them that diving off the cliff was no big deal, she’d been doing it since she was little.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
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.
