airman

noun

air·​man ˈer-mən How to pronounce airman (audio)
plural airmen
1
: a civilian or military pilot, aviator, or aviation technician
2
: an enlisted person in the air force: such as
a
: an enlisted person of one of the four ranks below sergeant
b
: an enlisted person ranking above an airman basic and below an airman first class

Examples of airman in a Sentence

her father was an airman who was shot down in Vietnam
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chinese air force airmen arrive at an air base in Thailand for Exercise Falcon Strike 2025 on September 16, 2025. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 The airmen tried to perform life-saving actions, but arriving first responders pronounced Badrian dead at the scene, the wing said. Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 18 Sep. 2025 Trombone emphasized patience, adaptability, and learning to navigate timelines and stakeholders with other airmen pursuing innovation. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025 The University of Iowa was a Navy pre-flight site during World War II, so many actual airmen had beers there after a long day of training in the early days. The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for airman

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of airman was in 1873

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Airman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airman. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

airman

noun
air·​man -mən How to pronounce airman (audio)
1
2
a
: an enlisted person in the air force
b
: an enlisted person in the air force with a rank below that of sergeant
especially : one with the rank just below that of airman first class

More from Merriam-Webster on airman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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