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

Samaritan's Purse said its aircraft were the first non-military flights to arrive in Venezuela following the earthquakes. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026

There will be ceremonial aspects that feel uniquely Spanish, Portuguese or Moroccan, but there need not be military aircrafts flying overhead or the host country’s anthem played before matches. — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 21 July 2026

With a fleet of more than 80 aircraft, PAL operates across the Philippines and 40 international destinations in Asia, North America, Australia and the Middle East. — Ian Sayson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Bombardier has described the Global 8000 as the world’s fastest civil aircraft since Concorde. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aircraft

• aircraft carrier
• rotary-wing aircraft

Rhymes for aircraft

• abaft
• camshaft
• crankshaft
• downdraft
• engraft
• priestcraft
• redraft
• schoolcraft
• spacecraft
• stagecraft
• statecraft
• updraft

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