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

Smaller aircraft could serve a wider range of commercial jobs closer to the ground, but their size complicates the task of powering them entirely with sunlight. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026

State authorities are investigating whether three officers aboard the aircraft fired their weapons. — Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 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