aviator
noun
avi·a·tor
ˈā-vē-ˌā-tər 
ˈa-
ˈa-
plural aviators
1
: the operator or pilot of an aircraft and especially an airplane
2
aviators plural
: aviator glasses
The heat had begun to settle in, and as she hit the sidewalk, she slipped on her new sunglasses, a trendy pair of aviators.—
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Susan Elizabeth PhillipsExamples of aviator in a Sentence
the solo flight from New York to Paris by the aviator Charles Lindbergh captured the imagination of people around the world
Recent Examples on the Web
This was an incredibly complex and dangerous operation for the rescue team and for that missing Air Force aviator who had evaded capture behind enemy lines for days.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
The United States pulled off a daring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting off a complicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.
—Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
The American military was scrambling to find the second aviator after official and semiofficial Iranian news organizations reported that a regional governor had offered a bounty for its crew.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is the mission commander with aviator John Shoffner as pilot and two mission specialist seats paid for by the Saudi Space Commission, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aviator
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.
ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
The United States pulled off a daring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting off a complicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.
—Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
The American military was scrambling to find the second aviator after official and semiofficial Iranian news organizations reported that a regional governor had offered a bounty for its crew.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is the mission commander with aviator John Shoffner as pilot and two mission specialist seats paid for by the Saudi Space Commission, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aviator
Cite this Entry
“Aviator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aviator. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aviator
noun
avi·a·tor
ˈā-vē-ˌāt-ər
ˈav-ē-
ˈav-ē-
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
