airspeed

American

[air-speed] / ˈɛərˌspid /

Or air speed

noun

the forward speed of an aircraft relative to the air through which it moves.

airspeed British

/ ˈɛəˌspiːd /

noun

the speed of an aircraft relative to the air in which it moves Compare groundspeed

"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 airspeed

First recorded in 1905–10; air ¹ + speed

Compare meaning

How does airspeed compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

airspeed vs. groundspeed

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:

airspeed

Furthermore, if anyone asks you the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow, the proper answer is “African or European?”

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026

The aircraft, an Airbus A330 wide-body, had been en route from Brazil to Paris when the jet’s Pitot tube, which is used to determine airspeed, iced over.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Plaintiffs had accused Air France of insufficiently training its pilots on how to react when the airspeed sensors malfunctioned.

From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2023

The crash led to changes in regulations for airspeed sensors and in how pilots are trained.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 17, 2023

He knew airspeed was different from groundspeed but not by how much.

From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023