airborne

adjective

air·​borne ˈer-ˌbȯrn 

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

Mining companies will have to limit concentrations of airborne silica, a mineral commonly found in rock that can be lethal when ground up and inhaled. —Chris Hamby, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Part of the issue, the CDC explains, is that measles is airborne. —Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

The new rule cuts the amounts of hazardous pollutants these factories would be allowed to release by about 6,200 pounds and substantially reduces the cancer risks from hazardous airborne pollutants. —Brenda Goodman, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

Nose hairs protect the delicate tissues of the nasal cavity and lungs from airborne irritants and pollutants, such as dust and pollen. —Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024

Inbound aircraft that are already airborne are delayed by about an hour. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

Across the country, hospital leadership cited advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the limits of airborne transmission. —Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024

An airborne hyperspectral survey (completed in 2022) indicates apparent zonation from magnesium-rich chlorite to iron-rich chlorite across the area and a broad zone of exhibiting a spectral signature of alunite-silica that are typical in the tops of porphyry copper systems. —Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024

One of the joys of a Murphy production is watching all of the spinning plates and wondering which will topple first, but this one actually keeps most of them airborne throughout the final episode. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

airborne

adjective

air·​borne ˈa(ə)r-ˌbōrn 

-ˌbȯrn,

ˈe(ə)r-

: supported or transported by air

airborne troops

Medical Definition

airborne

adjective

air·​borne -ˌbōrn 

: carried or transported by the air

airborne allergens

airborne bacteria