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
Carl SaganIn 1966, the first UFO "abduction" was described in journalist John G. Fuller's book The Interrupted Journey.—Keay Davidson
Keay Davidsoncalled also UAP, unidentified aerial phenomenon, unidentified anomalous phenomenon
Examples of UFO in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To enhance the verisimilitude of his wraparound segment, Cheel augments the fictional story of alien-contact footage discovered at a yard sale with nonfiction asides about UFO culture.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Upon request from the International UFO Bureau, Carter detailed his experience.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 18 Sep. 2025
On Weibo, where the trending topic generated over 150 million views as of Tuesday, speculation by netizens ranged from an alien UFO to an unauthorized drone or incoming meteorite.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
The second verse is no less random, with lyrics about moonwalking on a UFO, dropping bars while brushing teeth and a shout out to legendary 2001 blaxploitation-adjacent comedy Pootie Tang.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for UFO
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A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Upon request from the International UFO Bureau, Carter detailed his experience.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 18 Sep. 2025
On Weibo, where the trending topic generated over 150 million views as of Tuesday, speculation by netizens ranged from an alien UFO to an unauthorized drone or incoming meteorite.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
The second verse is no less random, with lyrics about moonwalking on a UFO, dropping bars while brushing teeth and a shout out to legendary 2001 blaxploitation-adjacent comedy Pootie Tang.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for UFO
Cite this Entry
“UFO.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/UFO. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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