airplane
Americannoun
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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.
“The great news is it has been numerous films from different genres accounting for the success,” said Michael Polydoros, chief executive of cinema marketing agency Paper Airplane.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
Airplane crashes are rare in China, where air safety and aviation standards have improved vastly in recent decades.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
Airplane travelers will still go through multiple layers of screening including identity verification, screening of carry-on luggage and individual screening — all without needing to take their shoes off.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2025
Created by bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, guitarist Mark Speer and drummer Donald "DJ" Johnson Jr., Khruangbin — which means Airplane — fuse their music with everything from Middle Eastern scales to Peruvian cumbia.
From Salon • Jan. 27, 2025
Every team had raced up the steps, hoping to be the first to grab The Paper Airplane Book by Seymour Simon.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
