airborne

adjective

air·​borne ˈer-ˌbȯrn 

1

: done or being in the air : being off the ground: such as

a

: carried through the air (as by an aircraft)

b

: supported especially by aerodynamic forces or propelled through the air by force

a plane becoming airborne

c

: transported or carried by the air

airborne allergens

2

: trained for deployment by air and especially by parachute

airborne troops

Examples of airborne in a Sentence

Once the plane was airborne I loosened my seat belt.

Thousands of airborne troops parachuted behind enemy lines.

Recent Examples on the Web

The third-party testing also found indoor airborne mold concentrations significantly below outdoor levels at the time samples were collected, according to the district’s summary. — Charlotte Observer, 13 Nov. 2026

Rowlands became Kansas City’s first television airborne traffic reporter, taking control of News Chopper 9 in 2003. — Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 2026

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said a police drone already airborne for an unrelated theft call was redirected to the crash within moments. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2026

United flights that are already airborne will continue, but diversions are occurring due to the number of airplanes on the ground at our hubs. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for airborne

• adorn
• blackthorn
• broomcorn
• buckhorn
• buckthorn
• careworn
• firstborn
• foodborne
• forborne
• forewarn
• forlorn
• forsworn

Kids Definition

airborne

adjective

air·​borne ˈa(ə)r-ˌbōrn 

-ˌbȯrn, 

ˈe(ə)r-

: supported or transported by air

airborne troops

Medical Definition

airborne

adjective

air·​borne -ˌbōrn 

: carried or transported by the air

airborne allergens

airborne bacteria