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.
Archer and Joby say their air taxis will bring the dream of flying cars to life with fast, lightweight aircraft that shuttle passengers over congested cities like an Uber in the sky.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Meanwhile, the company's pipeline of orders of its commercial, business and military aircraft reached a record $34.5 billion.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
Wisk got its start as a joint venture between Boeing and Google co-founder Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk Corp. and has flown six generations of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer said Monday it expects higher profits than previously forecast in 2026 after record second-quarter revenues and an all-time high order backlog.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
Masha Dolina, whose first wartime job was to fly aircraft away from her burning airfield, was one of only a few lucky women whose commanders found a place for them right away.
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.
