airlift

noun

air·​lift ˈer-ˌlift How to pronounce airlift (audio)
: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft often to or from an otherwise inaccessible area
airlift transitive verb

Examples of airlift in a Sentence

an emergency airlift to deliver supplies to the famine victims
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.
Proximity to Rickenbacker offers runway space certified for military cargo and airlift, plus broader access to the region's defense, aerospace, national security and Air Force industry. Andrew King, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025 The airlifts were the result of painstaking negotiations between aid groups and several governments, including Israel, Egypt and Italy, and each of the wounded was accompanied by a caretaker, usually a relative. Laura Boushnak, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024 His concerns before his final race grew during the Friday qualifier, when driver Rubens Barrichello, Senna’s friend and fellow Brazilian, flipped his car and hit a tire barrier, necessitating an airlift to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken nose and bruising. Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024 They were recovered from the rocky trail and the high altitude through a helicopter airlift. Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for airlift 

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of airlift was in 1943

Dictionary Entries Near airlift

Cite this Entry

“Airlift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airlift. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

airlift

noun
air·​lift ˈa(ə)r-ˌlift How to pronounce airlift (audio)
ˈe(ə)r-
: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft to or from an area otherwise impossible to reach
airlift verb

More from Merriam-Webster on airlift

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!