: the speed (as of an airplane) with relation to the air compare ground speed
Examples of airspeed in a Sentence
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The mission-representative flight maintained a true airspeed of 100 knots, pushing the limits of long-endurance operations in the Group 5 unmanned aerial system category.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Australian Transport Safety Bureau The pilot, unaware of what had happened, felt the aircraft suddenly pitch up, and noticed the airspeed rapidly decreasing.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 12 Dec. 2025
Engine power was set at 103% during the continuous climb, yielding 280 knots true airspeed, which equates to 322.4 miles per hour.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 26 Aug. 2025
Unable to guide the craft without airspeed data, the autopilot automatically disengaged as it was set to do, returning control of the plane to the pilots.
—David Autor, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
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Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Australian Transport Safety Bureau The pilot, unaware of what had happened, felt the aircraft suddenly pitch up, and noticed the airspeed rapidly decreasing.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 12 Dec. 2025
Engine power was set at 103% during the continuous climb, yielding 280 knots true airspeed, which equates to 322.4 miles per hour.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 26 Aug. 2025
Unable to guide the craft without airspeed data, the autopilot automatically disengaged as it was set to do, returning control of the plane to the pilots.
—David Autor, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for airspeed
Cite this Entry
“Airspeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airspeed. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
airspeed
noun
air·speed
-ˌspēd 
: the speed of an airplane according to measurements of the surrounding air rather than of the ground below
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