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

Three airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing were among six crew members killed on March 12 when their KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq. —Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026

It’s designed to train airmen and -women to survive and return from behind enemy lines. —Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2026

Now the father has been deported to Mexico, the Navy airman has been deployed to the Middle East as part of the war in Iran, and the college business major is trying to hold herself and her family together. —Norma Galeana, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026

The roughly 93-square-mile base houses the 49th Wing, which supports national security work and includes combat-ready airmen and guardians, according to its website. —CBS News, 18 Mar. 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