aircraft

noun

air·​craft ˈer-ˌkraft 

plural aircraft

often attributive

: a vehicle (such as an airplane or balloon) for traveling through the air

Examples of aircraft in a Sentence

a company that manufactures aircraft

Recent Examples on the Web

After retirement, Brown flew commercial cargo aircraft before joining two US defense contractors to work as an instructor in flight simulators training US pilots to fly the US F-35 stealth fighter and A-10 attack jet, the statement said. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026

Washington is ramping up pressure on Tehran, amassing aircraft and warships in the Middle East, and sanctioning more than 30 entities that support Iranian oil and weapons sales. —J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 Feb. 2026

According to General Atomics, a notional mission profile envisions MQ-9B aircraft launching from friendly bases in the Western or Southern Pacific, transiting to designated hold points outside an adversary’s weapons engagement zone, and loitering there for extended periods. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 25 Feb. 2026

In can give the pilot a detailed description of where other aircraft are whereas the current technology can only warn that traffic is in the area. —Josh Funk, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aircraft

• aircraft carrier
• rotary-wing aircraft

Rhymes for aircraft

• abaft
• camshaft
• crankshaft
• downdraft
• engraft
• priestcraft
• redraft
• schoolcraft
• spacecraft
• stagecraft
• statecraft
• updraft

Kids Definition

aircraft

noun

air·​craft ˈa(ə)r-ˌkraft 

ˈe(ə)r-

plural aircraft

: a machine (as an airplane, glider, or helicopter) that can travel through the air and that is supported either by its own buoyancy or by the action of the air against its surfaces