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

An Indianapolis police vehicle pursuit turned deadly when the pickup truck being chased went airborne and caught on fire. —Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025

There was a fear that if a car were out of control and hit the curbs just right, the vehicle would go airborne. —Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Outside of travel concerns, unsecured outdoor objects such as patio furniture, trash cans, and trampolines may become airborne or damaged. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025

For more than half a decade, Walmart has been testing a variety of drones to assess the viability of airborne deliveries. —Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025

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