UFO

[yoo-ef-oh, yoo-foh]

abbreviation

plural

UFO's, UFOs 

1. unidentified flying object: any unexplained moving object observed in the sky, especially one assumed by some observers to be of extraterrestrial origin.

UFO

/ ˈjuːfəʊ /

abbreviation

1. unidentified flying object

UFO

¹

1. The abbreviation for u nidentified f lying o bject. Sometimes referred to colloquially as “flying saucers.” Most UFO sightings have prosaic explanations; there is no hard evidence that extraterrestrial beings are visiting Earth.

UFO

²

1. An abbreviation for “U nidentified F lying O bject.” Often described as “flying saucers,” some UFOs are believed to come from other planets or galaxies and thus support the idea that human beings are not the only form of intelligent life in the universe. Few scientists agree.

Usage

See UAP.

Word History and Origins

Origin of UFO¹

First recorded 1950–55

Example Sentences

Over time, he added other topics—interviews with exorcists and people who reported UFO sightings, as well as tech executives.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Thirty years ago, Scotland was the centre of the UFO world.

Read more on BBC

He was inspired by the rock music of his adolescence: Kiss, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and UFO.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Harry Reid, the late Senator and Democratic Majority Leader who made waves in 2021 by calling for the declassification of UFO documents, articulated at the time a non-scientist’s perspective on the subject.

Read more on Salon

What has been observed may look like flying saucers but they are actually lenticular clouds, also referred to by some as pancake or UFO clouds.

Read more on BBC