pilot

American  

[pahy-luht] / ˈpaɪ lət /

noun

• pilots
  plural

1. a person duly qualified to steer ships into or out of a harbor or through certain difficult waters.

2. a person who steers a ship.

   Synonyms:

   helmsperson

3. Aeronautics. a person duly qualified to operate an airplane, balloon, or other aircraft.

4. a guide or leader.

   the pilot of the expedition.

5. coast pilot.

6. pilot light.

7. Machinery. a guide for centering or otherwise positioning two adjacent parts, often consisting of a projection on one part fitting into a recess in the other.

8. Railroads. cowcatcher.

9. Also called pilot film.  Also called pilot tape.  Television. a prototypical filmed or taped feature, produced with hopes of network adoption as a television series and aired to test potential viewer interest and attract sponsors.

10. a preliminary or experimental trial or test.

    The school will offer a pilot of its new computer course.

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verb (used with object)

• pilots,
  present (3rd person singular)
• piloted,
  past participle,  past
• piloting
  present participle

1. to steer.

2. to lead, guide, or conduct, as through unknown places, intricate affairs, etc.

3. to act as pilot on, in, or over.

   Synonyms:

   manage, maneuver

4. to be in charge of or responsible for.

   We're looking for someone to pilot the new project.

adjective

1. serving as an experimental or trial undertaking prior to full-scale operation or use.

   a pilot project.

pilot British  

/ ˈpaɪlət /

noun

1. 1. a person who is qualified to operate an aircraft or spacecraft in flight

   2. ( as modifier )

      pilot error

2. 1. a person who is qualified to steer or guide a ship into or out of a port, river mouth, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pilot ship

3. a person who steers a ship

4. a person who acts as a leader or guide

5. machinery a guide, often consisting of a tongue or dowel, used to assist in joining two mating parts together

6. machinery a plug gauge for measuring an internal diameter

7. films a colour test strip accompanying black-and-white rushes from colour originals

8. an experimental programme on radio or television

9. See pilot film

10. (modifier) used in or serving as a test or trial

    a pilot project

11. (modifier) serving as a guide

    a pilot beacon

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verb

1. to act as pilot of

2. to control the course of

3. to guide or lead (a project, people, etc)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unpiloted
  adjective
• well-piloted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pilots
  plural

Participles

• piloting
  present
• piloted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pilot
  simple
• pilots
  simple
• have piloted
  perfect
• has piloted
  perfect
• am piloting
  progressive
• are piloting
  progressive
• is piloting
  progressive
• have been piloting
  perfect progressive
• has been piloting
  perfect progressive

Past

• piloted
  simple
• had piloted
  perfect
• was piloting
  progressive
• were piloting
  progressive
• had been piloting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pilot
  simple
• will have piloted
  perfect
• will be piloting
  progressive
• will have been piloting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of pilot

First recorded in 1520–30; earlier pylotte, from Middle French pillotte, from Italian pilota, dissimilated variant of pedota, from unattested Medieval Greek pēdṓtēs “steersman,” equivalent to pēd(á) “rudder” (plural of pēdón “oar”) + -ōtēs agent suffix

Explanation

A pilot leads the way. An aircraft pilot flies a plane, and a maritime pilot steers a ship. Also, to pilot is to guide to safety, like to navigate a ship out of a harbor or through a sea of zombies. Pilot comes from the Greek pēdon meaning "oar." Like an oar that steers a ship, a pilot steers or directs a plane. A pilot can also be a model or basis for others of its kind. A school might launch a pilot breakfast program for a few students before introducing it to the whole school. The pilot episode of a TV show is like a test program produced to determine viewer interest before making a whole season.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pilot pilots piloted piloting

I’m in Sumter, S.C., invited to fly in an F-16 with former Crespi quarterback Randy Redell, an Air Force graduate, captain and pilot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

The tall, athletic rugby and polo fan embarked on a decade-long military career that included two Afghanistan deployments, one as a helicopter pilot.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

Further measures announced by the government include a new civil service fast stream pilot for local authority roles in Yorkshire and Humber.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

With a little fine-tuning, a model can pilot a robot in the real world as if it were a character in a videogame.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

“This is a wild goose chase,” the pilot said.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

In all, about 6.9% of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7% of deaths among pilots were from radiation-related cancers, according to the analysis.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Controllers could see the planes on their screens but were unable to hear or talk with the pilots.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

The view changes as the ship’s pilots deftly navigate worlds — or at least try to — like the metropolis of Coruscant and the deserts of Tatooine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Hal and John also stand apart from other test pilots, Marines and field experts in ways that make them not merely suitable choices for superheroic duty but worthy of it.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

I imagine airplanes that argue with their pilots, drinks that change the color of your skin, and aliens who study human beings in science labs—all when I’m supposed to be doing something else.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins

Looking out to 2030, viability "remains extremely limited and mainly only concerns raw materials", Eve Barre, an economist who piloted the Coface study, said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Archer got its start one year earlier, aiming to bring piloted air taxis to the mass market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

More police forces are adopting A.I. facial scanners; the tech is being piloted in schools, buses, and stores as well.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026

“Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the President in harm’s way,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

When he was thirty-one, he piloted a flight to northern Iran to pick up a high-ranking official.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

It has rolled out technology from autonomous forklifts to drones that can scan inventory, and is piloting humanoid robots that can lift and carry goods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

A teenager accused of endangering the lives of 165 migrants by allegedly piloting a record-breaking dinghy crossing of the English Channel is to stand trial.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is piloting a program to pay companies and providers—including those offering mental-health-focused AI chatbots, like Headspace—modest set rates tied to health outcomes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

One post in 2025 showed the two leaders piloting a B-2 bomber together.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Reggie was piloting his 2007 gold Mazda in the far right lane.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• aviator
• captain
• flier
• leader
• navigator