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

Drinkhouse, a former hotshot firefighter, has been working as an airborne fire spotter for the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control for eight seasons. — Brian Maass, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

In March, about 60 gallons of paraquat fell from a truck onto the roadway in the Siskiyou County town of Dorris, prompting shelter-in-place orders for about 600 residents due to the risk of toxic airborne hazards. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

The scientists used cutting-edge airborne laser scanning technology and found hundreds of previously unknown earthworks. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026

Carrington got the boot after catching Cunningham above the neck as the Fever guard went airborne for a transition layup. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 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