Synonyms

test pilot

American

noun

a pilot employed to test-fly newly-built aircraft.

test pilot British

noun

a pilot who flies aircraft of new design to test their performance in the air

"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 test pilot

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

Reid Wiseman, a 50-year-old former naval aviator and test pilot who was also a deputy chief of NASA's astronaut office, will be in command.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Victor Glover — a former Ontario High School wrestler and Navy test pilot who often wears his excitement on his royal-blue jumpsuit sleeve — will be the first Black person to reach the moon.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Crew-12 marks the first spaceflight for mission specialist Sophie Adenot and pilot Jack Hathaway, both of whom have test pilot backgrounds.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026

Wandt, a former Swedish Air Force fighter pilot who was Saab’s chief test pilot, currently serves as the company’s chief innovation officer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

Ten women made it past the application process—five physicians, three engineers, a scientist, and a test pilot with an engineering degree.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023