airman

noun

air·​man ˈer-mən 

plural airmen

1

: a civilian or military pilot, aviator, or aviation technician

2

: an enlisted person in the air force: such as

a

: an enlisted person of one of the four ranks below senior airman

b

: an enlisted person ranking above an airman basic and below an airman first class

Synonyms of airman

• pilot
• aviator

Examples of airman in a Sentence

her father was an airman who was shot down in Vietnam

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the crew members was rescued swiftly, but a high-stakes near 48-hour search operation was conducted to find the second airman. —Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 June 2026

During meetings where promotions were decided, white officers would sometimes make disparaging comments to Black airmen, Curry recalled. —Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

The game opens with a salvage mission gone awry where a fresh-faced British airman named James Bond survives a crash-landing behind enemy lines. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026

Weeks after a housesitter from Florida reportedly stole a Colorado airman's car and dog – leaving the pet to die – deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office say he was arrested early Saturday morning. —CBS News, 16 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing airman

• airman basic
• airman first class
• senior airman

Rhymes for airman

• chairman
• chairmen
• lehrman
• cochairman

Kids Definition

airman

noun

air·​man -mən 

1

: pilot entry 1 sense 3, aviator

2

a

: an enlisted person in the air force

b

: an enlisted person in the air force with a rank below that of sergeant

especially : one with the rank just below that of airman first class