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

Although the portion of the aircraft that first hit the water suffered severe damage and ruptured, allowing water to enter the cabin, the plane remained afloat, in part due to its partially empty fuel tanks, per Brittancia. —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026

The new system could replace the Stinger missile, which can engage low-flying aircraft such as helicopters, jets during takeoff or landing, and some drones. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026

Oliver Contreras | Afp | Getty Images Before the meeting, Denmark announced plans on Wednesday to beef up its military presence in and around Greenland, saying the exercise activities could include guarding national infrastructure, deploying fighter aircraft and conducting naval operations. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026

Lafayette leaders say a new runway funnels hundreds of aircraft's over Highway 287, which is lined with homes. —Maria Braganini, CBS News, 15 Jan. 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