lighter-than-air
adjective
(of an aircraft) weighing less than the air it displaces, hence obtaining lift from aerostatic buoyancy.
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lighter-than-air
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lighter than air
lighter than airadjectivehaving a lower density than that of air
lighter-than-air
American
[lahy-ter-thuhn-air]
/ ˈlaɪ tər ðənˈɛər /
adjective
Aeronautics.
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(of an aircraft) weighing less than the air it displaces, hence obtaining lift from aerostatic buoyancy.
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of or relating to lighter-than-air craft.
lighter than air
British
adjective
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having a lower density than that of air
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of or relating to an aircraft, such as a balloon or airship, that depends on buoyancy for support in the air
Etymology
Origin of lighter-than-air
First recorded in 1900–05
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:
In a debut, Mr. Miyake gave a more silken and nuanced portrayal, shaping his lighter-than-air moments of elevation with turns to give his character an ardent and flourished sweep.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
For one thing, the ship gets its lift from helium – a lighter-than-air gas that does not burn.
From NewsForKids.net ● Dec. 7, 2023
Its balloon program could collapse if the United States decides to notify other countries when lighter-than-air vehicles are heading their way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2023
Beijing also reportedly test-fired a new hypersonic missile from a floating airship in 2018, highlighting the military’s interest and multiple uses for lighter-than-air aircraft.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 6, 2023
The Zeppelin dirigible has come to be generally regarded as the one and only form of practical lighter-than-air type of aircraft.
From Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick Arthur Ambrose Talbot
The barely developed but welcome romantic subplots, of which there are three, are lighter than air; indeed you will recognize them before the characters do.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Airships Unlike planes, airships fly because they are full of gas that is lighter than air.
From NewsForKids.net ● Dec. 7, 2023
In addition to being lighter than air, helium is staunchly unreactive, making it useful for manufacturing sensitive products such as computer chips.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 5, 2023
Canadian Armed Forces Major-General Paul Prévost said all three of the most recent objects to be shot down appeared to be "lighter than air" machines, and described the Lake Huron object as "a suspected balloon".
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2023
“I was lighter than air from the minute I was born,” Olive said proudly.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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.
