UAP

American  

abbreviation

plural

UAP's, UAPs

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

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

Indeed, as military pilots continue to report UAP sightings, the government has convened exploratory panels into the issue.

From Salon

“Keep in mind that declassification doesn’t necessarily come with explanations,” Haley Morris, co-founder of the military pilot-led nonprofit Americans for Safe Aerospace, the world's largest UAP advocacy organization, told Salon.

From Salon

She added that the “best case is that with transparency, people can see the UAP mystery for themselves and hard data is made available for the scientific community to try and get some answers.”

From Salon

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

From Salon