airplane
Americannoun
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airplanes
plural
-
a heavier-than-air aircraft kept aloft by the upward thrust exerted by the passing air on its fixed wings and driven by propellers, jet propulsion, etc.
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any similar heavier-than-air aircraft, as a glider or helicopter.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of airplane
1870–75, for an earlier sense; alteration of aeroplane, with air 1 replacing aero-
Compare meaning
How does airplane compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An airplane is a flying vehicle that has fixed wings and engines or propellers that thrust it forward through the air. It's most common when you travel long distances to take an airplane. An airplane is the form of transportation you'll probably choose when you need to go from New York to California — it's the fastest and safest way to get there. Commercial airplanes are flown by a pilot and staffed by a crew. In Britain, it's still called an aeroplane, from the Greek aero-, "air," and French planer, "to soar," by way of the French aéroplane.
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.
See Examples For:
The distinguishing features of the Qatari airplane are its size, comfort, and the luxury of its interior furnishings, points Trump has gushed over.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
Feel how an airplane feels as it hurtles through windy skies at top speed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Heavy investments in new airplane production, a roughly $700 million payment to cover a Justice Department settlement and other accounting charges also crimped profits during the September quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
"It sounds very loud, like an airplane is going to take off," she told AFP as her three-year-old son played.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
But the aisle of this airplane was as empty and silent as its cockpit.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Here’s what I’m watching this morning: There’s so much breathless coverage of AI that sometimes it’s easy to forget there’s a whole economy out there running on cars, airplanes and the occasional streaming binge.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
I’ve ridden 22 airplanes so far in 2026, to the Midwest, East Coast and Japan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Soybean oil becomes biodiesel and aviation fuel, powering school buses and commercial airplanes.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Overhead, airplanes screech across a fat blue sky in a hurry to who knows where.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
We were in JimmyTrotter’s room, pretending to love his model airplanes since there wasn’t anything new to do or see.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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