aircraft
Americannoun
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aircraft
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of aircraft
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How does aircraft compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A machine that can fly, held aloft in the air, is called an aircraft. Airplanes and helicopters are two types of aircraft. Some aircraft, such as helicopters, fly by using rotary wings — spinning blades that directly generate lift. Airplanes use engines to turn propellers or power gas turbines, providing the thrust needed to move air over their wings and create lift. Still other aircraft, including hot-air balloons, achieve lift through buoyancy, by using gases that are lighter than the surrounding air. Balloons and airships, including blimps and dirigibles, were actually the first vehicles referred to as aircraft, a term adapted from nautical terminology.
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.
It named two flights already en route to the Italian capital: a Finnair aircraft set to arrive from Helsinki and a second from Dublin operated by Aer Lingus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
He suspects GE Aerospace's recent move is about securing reliability and predictability in the notoriously volatile aircraft manufacturing supply chain.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The Australian government has deployed a military transport aircraft to help Indonesia put out wildfires in Borneo that are causing toxic haze across the region, both countries have said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Blades made by Rolls-Royce are used in aircraft engines including the Trent XWB-84, which powers the Airbus A350-900, and the Trent 1000 XE, for the Boeing 787.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Over the next ten years, all over the world, aircraft designers competed to make early planes safer, more powerful, and more efficient.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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