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
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.
Airplane crashes are rare in China, where air safety and aviation standards have improved vastly in recent decades.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
Soon the group was part of a burgeoning rock movement in San Francisco that included Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, and Big Brother and the Holding Company.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
After insisting that Nicks come on board as lead singer, they began opening shows for the likes of Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane.
From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025
Airplane noise exposure at 45 dB or above was also associated with having higher BMI in middle to late adulthood from early adulthood.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024
“Crack Stress of Airplane Bodies by Computer Analysis” — he was looking for a numerical solution to analytically insoluble equations.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
