aviation
Americannoun
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the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft.
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military aircraft.
noun
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the art or science of flying aircraft
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the design, production, and maintenance of aircraft
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military aircraft collectively
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of aviation
From French, dating back to 1865–70; see origin at avi-, -ation
Explanation
If it has to do with flying or operating a plane, it has to do with aviation. If someone tells you that he's in aviation school, that means he is learning how to fly a plane. Aviation comes from the Latin avis meaning "bird," an appropriate translation given that aviation deals with travel by air, specifically in a plane. The aviation industry is the business sector dedicated to manufacturing and operating all types of aircraft. Air traffic controllers, when they are awake, are concerned with aviation safety.
Vocabulary lists containing aviation
Flying High: Aviation Words
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The Cay
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November Words
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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 companies are among the survivors of the quest to disrupt aviation using new aircraft designs, electricity and AI.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
"That was money-making for her, because she was invited to fly a lot of aeroplanes and do a lot of videos," says aviation journalist Christine Negroni, who says she met Marcinko in 2013.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Ben joined the Journal from Bloomberg News in 2019, where he first started writing about the aviation industry, European defense companies, and British business and politics.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Microchip plans to adapt the processor for industries such as aviation and automotive manufacturing.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2026
It might have been a strategic move by Stalin to keep a close eye on all the Soviet Union’s top aviation specialists.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
