UFO

noun

ˌyü-(ˌ)ef-ˈō 

ˈyü-(ˌ)fō

plural UFO's or UFOs ˌyü-(ˌ)ef-ˈōz 

ˈyü-(ˌ)fōz

: a mysterious flying object in the sky that is sometimes assumed to be a spaceship from another planet : unidentified flying object

"All right." The President sighed. "Is there anybody around this table who thinks UFOs and this signal from Vega have anything to do with each other?"

—Carl Sagan

In 1966, the first UFO "abduction" was described in journalist John G. Fuller's book The Interrupted Journey.

—Keay Davidson

called also UAP, unidentified aerial phenomenon, unidentified anomalous phenomenon

Examples of UFO in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In June, the Free Press reported that UFO Factory would close mid-month and be taken over by new owner Roula David, owner of Detroit’s popular Spot Lite, to be redone and reopened as UFO Bar later this summer. —Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 15 Aug. 2024

Raul Castillo, 55, an orchid grower, experiences a rare UFO encounter in the tropical mountains of Buenaventura, his mining town. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2024

From the fashion-forward fits to the UFO imagery to the brilliantly off-kilter choreography, this feels like the spotlight tour Missy Elliott has been waiting decades to deliver. —Joe Lynch, Billboard, 13 Aug. 2024

The rumors about a UFO crash landing at Dreamy Draw Dam were published in 1950. —Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

unidentified flying object

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

UFO

noun

ˌyü-(ˌ)ef-ˈō 

plural UFO's or UFOs -ˈōz 

: an unidentified flying object

especially : flying saucer