airborne

adjective

air·​borne ˈer-ˌbȯrn How to pronounce airborne (audio)
1
: done or being in the air : being off the ground: such as
a
: carried through the air (as by an aircraft)
b
: supported especially by aerodynamic forces or propelled through the air by force
a plane becoming airborne
c
: transported or carried by the air
airborne allergens
2
: trained for deployment by air and especially by parachute
airborne troops

Examples of airborne in a Sentence

Once the plane was airborne I loosened my seat belt. Thousands of airborne troops parachuted behind enemy lines.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The man brandished a knife while the Tropic Air plane was airborne while demanding that the pilots take him out of the country, Police Commissioner Chester Williams told journalists, according to Reuters. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025 Measles is an extremely infectious disease that is airborne. Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025 The camera, airborne, rushes up through the roof, which bursts into flames. Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025 Some guards thumbed their noses at the FAA safety rules that flight attendants were supposed to enforce while airborne, multiple flight attendants recalled. Mckenzie Funk, ProPublica, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for airborne

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of airborne was in 1637

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Airborne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airborne. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

airborne

adjective
air·​borne ˈa(ə)r-ˌbōrn How to pronounce airborne (audio)
-ˌbȯrn,
ˈe(ə)r-
: supported or transported by air
airborne troops

Medical Definition

airborne

adjective
air·​borne -ˌbōrn How to pronounce airborne (audio)
: carried or transported by the air
airborne allergens
airborne bacteria

More from Merriam-Webster on airborne

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!