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

Despite these complexities, active carriers maintain powerful air wings with F/A-18 Super Hornets and other advanced aircraft. — Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

The airline is also extending leases on its Boeing 777-300ER—the aircraft that flies the NYC to TPE route. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

On match days, all aircraft operations, including drones, are prohibited within a radius of 3 nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet above ground level around the stadiums unless specifically authorized by air traffic controllers. — Reuters, NBC news, 7 July 2026

Firejet production also increases Beyond collaborative combat aircraft, the expansion will increase production of Kratos’ Firejet family of aerial target systems. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 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