fighter pilot

American  

[fahy-ter pahy-luht] / ˈfaɪ tər ˌpaɪ lət /

noun

Military.

1. a pilot trained to fly aircraft classified as fighters and to engage in aerial combat.

   The last surviving member of this celebrated squadron of fighter pilots has died, at age 92.

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Etymology

Origin of fighter pilot

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fighter pilot

Air Force colonel with more than 27 years of experience as an instructor pilot, fighter pilot, and test pilot.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

Did he share a fake video of himself as a fighter pilot dumping human waste on No Kings protesters?

From Salon ● May 24, 2026

Tom Vo was born in Vietnam, served as a fighter pilot for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and moved to Southern California as a refugee after the Vietnam War.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Kirby, 58, grew up in a small town outside Dallas, went to the Air Force Academy with dreams of being a fighter pilot and ended up with a much different career involving planes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026

Rita became a prizewinning math student, and Kuda, to no one’s surprise, was possessed by his great-great-grand- uncle, a famous fighter pilot, and was taught military strategy from the inside out.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer