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

In 2016, during the period one of us (David Michaels) served as the assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, the agency reduced the allowable level of workplace exposure to airborne silica dust. —David Michaels, Fortune, 21 June 2026

Rossa Ryan is in the irons guiding Orthodox to the win; but focus for a moment on the equine athlete’s airborne moment sailing down in the perigee of his last stride. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

The cars also got airborne coming down a hill leading into Turn 2. —Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2026

Scientists now also know that Legionella pneumophila is just one of dozens of species of microorganisms that can cause respiratory illness from airborne water particles. —Robert Promisloff, The Conversation, 19 June 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