preflight

American  

[pree-flahyt] / priˈflaɪt /

adjective

1. occurring or done before a flight.

   a preflight briefing of the plane's crew.

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noun

1. a preflight briefing or a ground check, as of an airplane.

preflight British  

/ ˈpriːˈflaɪt /

adjective

1. of or relating to the period just prior to a plane taking off

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Etymology

Origin of preflight

First recorded in 1920–25; pre- + flight ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preflight

The confusion that ensued became a "catalyst" for modern regulations mandating better flotation equipment on planes and preflight briefings on how to use it, aviation safety expert John Cox told AP.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

It took more than a year for SpaceX to resume flights from a launchpad at Cape Canaveral after a preflight explosion destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket in 2016.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

No preflight meal orders or reminder that the airline has a new lounge at JFK you can get into with a trans-Atlantic ticket in Mint.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

However, during the months after returning to Earth, the length of his telomeres were discovered to be critically shorter than his preflight levels.

From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2024

They reviewed their vehicles in an exhaustive preflight checkout before climbing into the sky.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly