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Synonyms

piloting

American  
[pahy-luh-ting] / ˈpaɪ lə tɪŋ /

noun

  1. the determination of the course or position of a ship or airplane by any of various navigational methods or devices.

piloting British  
/ ˈpaɪlətɪŋ /

noun

  1. the navigational handling of a ship near land using buoys, soundings, landmarks, etc, or the finding of a ship's position by such means

  2. the occupation of a pilot

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of piloting

First recorded in 1710–20; pilot + -ing 1

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.

Ghalibaf has posted video showing him piloting aircraft and became famous as mayor for riding his motorcycle, cultivating a strongman persona that some Iran watchers have compared to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

They will also test its manual piloting capabilities during docking simulations.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The company started piloting drone delivery at Google’s Mountain View campus to deliver supplies.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

They are piloting working with retailers and are in the process of rolling out its circular model to parents at home.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

May Mother never find out that I was piloting her precious Saturn on instructions from Rain, the face of so many of her childhood nightmares.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

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.