air right

noun

: a property right to the space above a surface area or object

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Amtrak owns the station—basically everything below street level except the subway lines, which are owned by the M.T.A. Dolan owns the air rights above most of the station. —William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023

So, how many planes are in the air right now? —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2022

Everything is up in the air right now. —BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2021

So much is up in the air right now. —Brian Stelter, CNN, 8 Dec. 2020

Any microwaves that were still within the device dissipate into the air right away, Raghavan says. —Leslie Nemo, Discover Magazine, 6 July 2021

The league is more up in the air right now with who might be able to win more than it’s ever been. —Dallas News, 2 June 2022

Just as the anniversary celebrations were going on, Mars threw out a little surprise: an odd rock, nicknamed the Jelly Donut, that seemingly materialized out of thin Martian air right in front of Opportunity. —Corey S Powell, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2014

Dogs benefit from two daily walks, which give you a chance to enjoy some fresh air right along with them. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 7 Jan. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

air right

noun

: a property right to the space above a surface or object (as a building) that may be sold or leased for development purposes

make use of the air rights above the Terminal

—Penn Central Transportation Co. v. City of New York, 438 U.S. 104 (1978)