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

According to Amber Rich, communications director for SIEU Local 1000, a transportation lab facility tested positive for airborne asbestos in 2026. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026

According to researchers, any toxic airborne chemicals would likely stem from the charred foam insulation, metal exterior, burned solar panels and any lithium batteries that might have been present inside the warehouse. — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Unlike combat drones, Firejet aircraft are primarily used to simulate realistic airborne threats during weapons testing and military training. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 2026

The report notably makes no mention of any provision of or request for R-37 long-range air-to-air missiles, which Moscow designed for shooting down enemy tankers and airborne surveillance aircraft. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for airborne

• adorn
• blackthorn
• broomcorn
• buckhorn
• buckthorn
• careworn
• firstborn
• foodborne
• forborne
• forewarn
• forlorn
• forsworn

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