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

Classes were also recently suspended in 15 schools in Jalisco and the central state of Aguascalientes because of outbreaks of the highly contagious airborne virus. —Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026

Experts say the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to examine the approaching storm and whether ice buildup on the wings prevented the aircraft from becoming airborne, a problem that has occurred at least twice before with the same model. —Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026

Timeouts aren’t allowed if a player is airborne when making the call. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026

Police said the Chevrolet Sonic Khabelov was driving went airborne as a result of the crash, crossed the center median, and then struck a 2015 Honda Accord that was stopped in the left westbound lane of Street Road. —Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 3 Feb. 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