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Acronyms dictionary results for UAP.

UAP

American  

abbreviation

• UAP's,
  plural
• UAPs
  plural

1. unidentified aerial phenomenon: a phenomenon or object in the atmosphere, observed from the ground or the air, whose nature or cause remains unexplained even after subsequent scientific analysis.

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Usage

In 2021, the U.S. government released for the first time an unclassified intelligence assessment of UAP’s (unidentified aerial phenomena). The report avoided use of the older term UFO (unidentified flying object) because of its association with unproven claims of extraterrestrial spacecraft sightings. UAP has been embraced as the official term, as it expresses a neutral position on the associated phenomena that remain an ongoing mystery.

Etymology

Origin of UAP

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

UAP

Last week, the Defense Department published its third release of UAP files, the first of which came in May.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Tom DeLonge, guitarist, vocalist and co-founder of the rock band Blink-182, is among one of the most visible UAP obsessives as a founder of To The Stars, an entertainment company that has done UAP research.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Among the decades-worth of reports released in the files are dozens of individual claims of sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

It led with “Charlotte mayor scores primary re-election victory amid national backlash over gruesome train murder” and another breaking story: “Hellfire missile bounces off mysterious orb in stunning UAP footage shown to Congress.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025

"There are thousands of classified UAP records across government agencies that would be subject to declassification by executive order."

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2025