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, 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

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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

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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

It began when he was rejected by a pilot school at 17 because he refused to pay a bribe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

That crash claimed the lives of patient Catalina Romero, nurse Jessica Devries and pilot Steve Robinson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Using US-funded technology through the International Commission on Missing Persons, a pilot programme had reported genetic data was successfully pulled from 54 of 58 samples, he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Audio recorded on air traffic control details a pilot asking for medical help, describing "a bloody nose" and "some bite marks", according to CBS News, BBC's US News partner.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

The pilot made everyone sit down, even the stewardesses.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis

Men at the pool presented themselves to AFP as pilots or trainers, in some cases former special forces personnel.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Plus, the race to fill next summer’s $50,000 internships and why rogue pilots are the safety threat that no one knows how to stop.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Israeli aviation regulations also state that pilots who are citizens of countries without formal diplomatic relations with Israel, like Oman, are not permitted to operate flights to the country.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

At the height of the emergency, five experienced drone pilots were brought together to provide aerial information to the agencies fighting the fire.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Soon the young fighter pilots at Engels were practicing shooting at targets and working on aerobatic loops and rolls.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Not especially keen swimmers, they used their mousing skills to secure passage on world-traveling ships piloted by merchants and explorers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Alongside its longstanding classroom-in-residence program, in which fourth- through sixth-grade classes spend a week at the museum, the Hammer piloted its classroom partnership program under Ryan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

A teenager who piloted a dinghy carrying a then-record 165 migrants across the English Channel to the UK has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

A teenager who piloted a dinghy carrying a then-record 165 migrants across the English Channel to the UK has pleaded guilty to endangering others during a sea crossing.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

The Thunderhead piloted just about everything airborne, and even if it was an off-grid chopper, someone onboard would always announce their approach and request clearance.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

On the third floor, the focus is movement, “woven into the fabric of cinema” through dance-hall and jazz-club settings, as well as in scenes of driving, swimming, riding and piloting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Matthew Parris, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant was seen piloting the boat, which was being followed by French authorities.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

The government said it was investing nearly £100m to improve national resilience capabilities, which includes piloting specially trained firefighting teams.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Almost all of the company’s some 150 troops have gained at least rudimentary piloting skills, and the company’s commander, a veteran of the Afghan war, said he has visited several units inside wartime Ukraine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The Nazis claim that Comrade Hess met with an accident over the North Sea while piloting a fighter plane.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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Related Words

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