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.
Christian Diaz, a U.S. airman stationed in South Korea, was kayaking with friends while off-duty during a deployment to Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks for an exercise, according to the Fairbanks fire and police departments and Air Force officials. Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2025 The airman, named as 1st Class Lt. Col. Maksym Ustymenko by the Ukrainian air force, was the third F-16 pilot killed since the Ukrainians began flying the jets last summer, and his plane was the fourth F-16 Ukraine has lost since then. Kostya Gak, CNN Money, 29 June 2025 Starting in August 2021, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin required the COVID-19 shot for troops, sailors and airmen, arguing at the time that the mandate was critical to keeping U.S. forces healthy and ready to fight. Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 28 May 2025 Yet for every soldier, sailor, or airman who was killed, nearly one and a half civilians would die, totaling, by one count, almost 40 million. Bryan Walsh, Vox, 26 May 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 10 Jul. 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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