the U.S. department consisting of practically all military aviation forces, established July 26, 1947.
air force, a similar department in any military organization.
air force, (formerly) the largest unit in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
air force, a unit of U.S. Air Force command between an air division and an air command.
Sometimes air force the military unit of a nation charged with carrying out military operations in the air.
British. Royal Air Force.
the branch of a nation's armed services primarily responsible for air warfare
( as modifier )
an air-force base
a formation in the US and certain other air forces larger than an air division but smaller than an air command
First recorded in 1915–1920
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Perhaps in part because of his time overseas in the Air Force, he believed U.S. military, economic and diplomatic power could be marshaled to expand freedom in the world in the American national interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"The first time I heard it I was expecting that the Nigerian Air Force... had come to rescue us," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Nike cruised on popular lifestyle sneakers—Air Jordan 1s, Air Force 1s and Dunks—for too long and fell behind on running.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat is an uncrewed aircraft, developed with the Royal Australian Air Force, to fly alongside crewed fighter jets carrying out electronic warfare and surveillance and to help multiply forces.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
His first long trip was to the west, to Chicago, where he knew there had been an underground Air Force command post.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
AFP journalists in Kyiv heard explosions moments after the Ukrainian air force warned residents via Telegram of incoming ballistic missiles.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Various agencies, including the navy and air force, have been deployed to look for the missing plane, the airport authority said.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Then the two men walked arm-in-arm while a band played the Stars and Stripes, and Turkish air force jets performed a flypast overhead, trailing red, white and blue smoke.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Even a country without a conventional air force can now achieve localized air superiority thanks to drones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
An air force man, he could match Lewis's navy schedule with ease.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
