airman

noun

air·​man ˈer-mən 

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 senior airman

b

: an enlisted person ranking above an airman basic and below an airman first class

Synonyms of airman

• pilot
• aviator

Examples of airman in a Sentence

her father was an airman who was shot down in Vietnam

Recent Examples on the Web

Gregory, 55, of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, obtained his airline transport pilot’s license in 2021, according to Federal Aviation Administration airmen records. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026

The airman was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, out of Nellis Air Force Base. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Witnesses said the airman was one of three service members conducting a rappelling demonstration from the Alamodome's ceiling, a drop of about 170 feet. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Photos from the scene show several UTSA members surrounding the airman on the field after the fatal fall, as medics tended to him in front of horrified spectators. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing airman

• airman basic
• airman first class
• senior airman

Rhymes for airman

• chairman
• chairmen
• lehrman
• cochairman

Kids Definition

airman

noun

air·​man -mən 

1

: pilot entry 1 sense 3, aviator

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