airborne

adjective

air·borne | \ -ˌbȯrn

Definition of airborne

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

At the moment, the flight path, sensor payload and weapons disposal of airborne drones such as Air Force Predators and Reapers are coordinated from ground control stations. — Fox News, "Air Force brings AI to B-2, F-35 and F-15," 31 July 2018 About 40 golf courses in the United States and Canada already are customers of another Boston startup, GreenSight Agronomics, which leases small airborne drones outfitted with infrared cameras. — Scott Kirsner, BostonGlobe.com, "How golf startups are bringing innovation to a tradition-steeped game," 25 May 2018 The wings are folded back during transport but pop out once the drone is airborne. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Marines’ Plywood Supply Drone Is Undergoing Flight Tests," 20 Mar. 2019 Together, those ingredients create a steam-hot blend of airborne hazards that’s dangerous to breathe or get in your eyes. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "The lava striking the sea is gorgeous — and can be deadly," 22 May 2018 The Tesla became airborne, and crashed more than 100 feet into the opposing lane, eventually hitting a tree in a nearby school parking lot, police said. — Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, "Tesla Model S goes airborne on video, driver charged," 29 Aug. 2018 At one point in the video, two porta-potties slide on a sidewalk before one flips onto a van and the other becomes airborne. — Char Adams, PEOPLE.com, "WATCH: Fierce Winds Send Porta-Potties Flying Into the Air as Colorado Parkgoers Take Cover," 15 June 2018 In scenes captured on amateur video, the car is seen hitting a bump, then going airborne and landing in a cloud of dust. — John Leicester, The Seattle Times, "Man arrested after car-ramming at Lyon airport," 10 Sep. 2018 Gerba found that a single flush sent E. coli airborne and viable for at least four to six hours later. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Please, for the Love of God, Close the Toilet Lid When You Flush," 20 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'airborne.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.