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

It is aimed at producing future fighter aircraft with longer operational range and better endurance. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026

The wide-ranging show will feature both military and civilian pilots in both historic and modern aircraft. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2026

The combined company will operate a fleet of 195 aircraft to serve 175 cities and over 650 routes. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 14 May 2026

Rescuers work at the wreckage of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019. —CBS News, 14 May 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