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

The company later put the program on hold, and the aircraft has yet to fly, a reminder of the long trek from announcing an electric aircraft to producing an airborne prototype. — New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2026

One study links living near new Kern County oil and gas wells to higher infection risk, while massive housing and solar construction promise more soil disturbance and airborne, infectious dust. — Susanne Rust follow, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

During the ensuing pursuit, the Lexus kept its lights off, reached speeds up to 65 mph and went airborne multiple times, the report says. — arkansasonline.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Dart was clutching at his knee after getting sandwiched between two Rams defenders that beat the Giants’ tackles off the edge, and while airborne, video replay showed his leg shift in an awkward way. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 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