aircraft

noun

air·​craft ˈer-ˌkraft 

plural aircraft

often attributive

: a vehicle (such as an airplane or balloon) for traveling through the air

Examples of aircraft in a Sentence

a company that manufactures aircraft

Recent Examples on the Web

The aircraft was introduced in 2012 as an update to the Cessna Citation X, which has been in service since 1996. —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2024

Most strike aircraft can carry eight GBU-39s at a time, and each can be independently guided to various targets. —Lara Jakes, New York Times, 8 June 2024

Westchester County says the carrier is violating county law by operating an aircraft with more than nine seats from the private jet terminal. —Bychris Morris, Fortune, 7 June 2024

Larger aircraft must operate out of the airport's commercial terminal. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 7 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aircraft

• aircraft carrier
• rotary-wing aircraft

Kids Definition

aircraft

noun

air·​craft ˈa(ə)r-ˌkraft 

ˈe(ə)r-

plural aircraft

: a machine (as an airplane, glider, or helicopter) that can travel through the air and that is supported either by its own buoyancy or by the action of the air against its surfaces