pilot
Americannoun
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pilots
plural
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a person duly qualified to steer ships into or out of a harbor or through certain difficult waters.
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a person who steers a ship.
- Synonyms:
- helmsperson
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Aeronautics. a person duly qualified to operate an airplane, balloon, or other aircraft.
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a guide or leader.
the pilot of the expedition.
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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.
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Railroads. cowcatcher.
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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.
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a preliminary or experimental trial or test.
The school will offer a pilot of its new computer course.
verb (used with object)
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pilots,
present (3rd person singular)
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piloted,
past participle, past
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piloting
present participle
adjective
noun
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a person who is qualified to operate an aircraft or spacecraft in flight
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( as modifier )
pilot error
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a person who is qualified to steer or guide a ship into or out of a port, river mouth, etc
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( as modifier )
a pilot ship
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a person who steers a ship
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a person who acts as a leader or guide
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machinery a guide, often consisting of a tongue or dowel, used to assist in joining two mating parts together
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machinery a plug gauge for measuring an internal diameter
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films a colour test strip accompanying black-and-white rushes from colour originals
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an experimental programme on radio or television
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See pilot film
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(modifier) used in or serving as a test or trial
a pilot project
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(modifier) serving as a guide
a pilot beacon
verb
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to act as pilot of
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to control the course of
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to guide or lead (a project, people, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pilotsimple
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pilotssimple
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have pilotedperfect
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has pilotedperfect
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am pilotingprogressive
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are pilotingprogressive
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is pilotingprogressive
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have been pilotingperfect progressive
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has been pilotingperfect progressive
Past
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pilotedsimple
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had pilotedperfect
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was pilotingprogressive
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were pilotingprogressive
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had been pilotingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing pilot
May the 4th Be With You: Star Wars Words
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Occupations
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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:
Earlier in the day, a Jetstar pilot was forced to apply the brakes suddenly to avoid crashing into a Qatar Airways jet.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The inaugural cohort will include 10 appointees and run for a one-year pilot term before expanding to 20 appointees and a full two-year term, according to CalEPA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Since Don Ross retired as an airline pilot a decade ago, all the financial planners he has spoken with have wanted him to invest his cash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration launched a pilot program for electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, in March.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
On the third try, the pilot finally rose using his instruments alone—without being able to see anything out of the windows—to get them aloft.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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
The military’s missing-persons committee wrote to the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross asking the organization to visit the pilots after saying its own efforts have been rebuffed by Qatar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Spokesman Majed Al Ansari said on social media that Qatar sent search-and-rescue teams to look for the crew members after their planes were downed and found the remains of one of the pilots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
It said the captain's initial test produced a result requiring "confirmatory testing", external and that both pilots had been removed from flying duties pending the inquiry.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
There’s no doubt that Soviet pilots, navigators, and commanding officers were privileged during the war.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, told AFP "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."
From Barron's ● 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
His wife, Pamela Helfrich, told NBC Los Angeles that she’s unsure if he piloted the flight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
In the UK, where delivery robots are being piloted in a number of cities, some locals have taken matters into their own hands.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Since the Germans had a shortage of powered aircraft, the boys built and piloted gliders.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The European Commission is piloting an age-verification app to verify whether users are over 18 to access restricted online content.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Allstate, for example, is piloting direct sales done entirely by AI in three states, Chief Executive Tom Wilson told investors in April.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Two men have become the first to be jailed under a new law targeting people who risk the safety of others by piloting small boats across the Channel.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
A second man, Afghan national Tajik Mohammed, was given a two-year sentence after pleading guilty to piloting a vessel across the Channel during poor weather conditions in January.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
At first he’d outright refused the entire idea of Magdalys piloting the mosasaurus.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
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.
