aviation

noun

avi·​a·​tion ˌā-vē-ˈā-shən 

ˌa-

often attributive

1

: the operation of aircraft

a pioneer in the early days of aviation

a career in aviation

sometimes, specifically : the operation of heavier-than-air aircraft

Fascinated from that moment on by aviation, [John] Montgomery pursued pioneering experiments in the design of a heavier-than-air glider …

—Kevin Starr

2

: military airplanes

carrier-based aviation

3

: airplane manufacture, development, and design

By that time, [Theodore P.] Wright already had established himself as a leading figure in American aviation.

—Michael Rothschild

Examples of aviation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This structure allows Boeing to maintain exposure to autonomous aviation, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and unmanned systems without continuing to operate every business developing them. — Alex Krutz, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

In addition, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, K-9 units, drones and other aviation units began to assist. — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

The nation’s civil aviation authority suspended operations at several airports in the country's west, including Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, pending structural inspections. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Unlike SpaceX's current workhorse launcher Falcon 9, which burns a form of the aviation fuel kerosene, Starship combusts the much cleaner combination of methane and liquid oxygen. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin avis

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aviation

• general aviation

Rhymes for aviation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

aviation

noun

avi·​a·​tion ˌā-vē-ˈā-shən 

ˌav-ē-

: the operation of aircraft (as airplanes or helicopters) that are heavier than air