UAV

American

unmanned aircraft (or aerial) vehicle: an aircraft that can navigate without a human pilot on board; a drone.

UAVs guided by GPS.

UAV British

abbreviation

unmanned aerial vehicle

"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 UAV

First recorded in 1985–90

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.

See Examples For:

UAV

Next to Bennett, another pilot prepared to launch a drone from Theiss UAV Solutions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

"If a hostile regime survives, it will likely seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its military, missiles and UAV forces," Gabbard said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026

"I'm excited to see this cutting-edge UAV technology take shape right here in Swindon," he added.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2025

In November, Elbit lost its largest arms contract, worth over $2.5 billion, after the Ministry of Defence scrapped a drone program with Elbit subsidiary UAV Tactical Systems.

From Slate ● Mar. 24, 2025

From the overburdening of the Aquilla UAV to the massive and poorly planned investment in robotics made by General Motors in the early 1980s, robotics has been an area of unfulfilled promises.

From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by James P. Wade

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