air

noun, often attributive \ ˈer \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of air

1 a archaic : breath

b : the mixture of invisible odorless tasteless gases (such as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the earth; also : the equivalent mix of gases on another planet

… the thin, frigid air of Mars.
—Stefano S. Coledan

c : a light breeze

2 a : empty space

b : nothingness

vanished into thin air

c old-fashioned : a sudden severance of relations

She gave me the air.

[probably translation of Italian aria]

a : tune, melody

a lilting air

b Elizabethan & Jacobean music : an accompanied song or melody in usually strophic form

c : the chief voice part or melody in choral music

4 a : outward appearance of a thing

an air of luxury

b : a surrounding or pervading influence : atmosphere

an air of mystery

c : the look, appearance, or bearing of a person especially as expressive of some personal quality or emotion : demeanor

an air of dignity

d : an artificial or affected manner

put on airs

5 : public utterance

He gave air to his opinion.

6 : compressed air

7 a (1) : aircraft

traveling by air

(2) : aviation

air safety

air rights

(3) : air force

air headquarters

b (1) : the medium of transmission of radio waves; also : radio, television

went on the air

(2) : airtime

8 : a football offense utilizing primarily the forward pass

Trailing by 20 points, the team took to the air.

9 : an air-conditioning system

a house with central air

10 : the height achieved in performing an aerial maneuver

a snowboarder catching big air

; also : the maneuver itself

—

airless

play \-ləs\ adjective

—

airlessness

noun

— in the air

: being felt or expressed by many people : in wide circulation

There was a sense of anticipation in the air.

— up in the air

: not yet settled

a question that's still up in the air

See air defined for English-language learners

See air defined for kids

Examples of air in a Sentence

These laws are meant to produce cleaner air.
A delicious smell filled the air.
I like to dine outdoors in the open air.
He can't breathe! Everybody move back and give him some air!
High in the mountains the air is thin and it can be hard to breathe.
He pumped air into the bicycle tire.
The city is wonderful seen from the air.
the fish of the sea and the birds of the air
The balloon rose up into the air and then floated through the air.
There has been heavy fighting on the ground and in the air.

Recent Examples of air from the Web

Several ships in the area are stocked with aid and once the airport is open, that aid will be delivered by air.

— elise labott and ryan browne, CNN, "US rejects UAE request for support to capture Yemeni port city," 14 June 2018
The coalition has blocked most ports, letting supplies into Hodeida in coordination with the U.N. The air campaign and fighting have disrupted other supply lines, causing an economic crisis that makes food too expensive for many to afford.

— Washington Post, "Saudi-led troops fight rebel forces south of Yemen’s Hodeida," 14 June 2018
The smell of java is nonexistent as the air is thick with the sweet, piney aroma of weed being smoked by shop patrons.

— gerrick d. kennedy, latimes.com, "It took years for Arin Ray to find his voice after his 'X Factor' elimination. Now he's on 'Fire'," 14 June 2018
Musk’s original concept—which would use air pressure to move transport pods at speeds as high as 600 miles per hour.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Is Elon Musk Scamming Chicago?," 14 June 2018
Culturally and nutritionally, bowheads are the most important subsistence food species for native residents in this isolated settlement, accessible only by air or by sea during the short summer months when the water is open.

— The Economist, "Whaling in Alaska," 14 June 2018
Cooler air will sweep southeastward across the Midwest and Northeast during Monday night and Tuesday, AccuWeather said.

— doyle rice, USA TODAY, "'Dangerous' heat wave forecast for Father's Day weekend in central, northeast U.S.," 14 June 2018
The trip includes three nights of hotels, air transportation, plus gear, meals, and guides (from $2,199), and excursions are currently slated for November and December.

— megan michelson, Outside Online, "6 Epic Multisport Trips," 14 June 2018
Capable of difficult finishes in the air and highlight dunks.

— the si staff, SI.com, "2018 NBA Draft: Ranking Best Guards Available," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'air.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of air

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr air

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

See Words from the same year

air Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of air

pose, air, airs, affectation, mannerism mean an adopted way of speaking or behaving. pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others.

- her shyness was just a pose

air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life.

- a traveler's sophisticated air

airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness.

- snobbish airs

affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere.

- the posh accent is an affectation

mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit.

- gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

air

verb

Definition of air

aired; airing; airs

transitive verb

1 : to expose to the air for drying, purifying, or refreshing : ventilate —often used with out

He opened the windows to air out the room.

2 : to expose to public view or bring to public notice

aired their complaints

3 : to transmit by radio or television

air a program

intransitive verb

1 : to become exposed to the open air

The blankets were left outside to air.

2 : to become broadcast

a program that airs daily

See air defined for English-language learners

Examples of air in a Sentence

The blankets were left outside to air.
She opened the windows to air the room.
The company had a meeting so that employees could air their complaints.
The interview will be aired tomorrow.
The interview will air tomorrow.

Recent Examples of air from the Web

In a revealing documentary that aired earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth spoke rather matter-of-factly about the royal jewels — and there’s no denying her sense of detachment.

— erin hill, PEOPLE.com, "Queen Elizabeth Gave Meghan Markle a Gorgeous Pair of Earrings for Their First Trip Together," 14 June 2018
Singer Courtney Hadwin experienced the gilded swarm that results from getting the golden buzzer during her audition that aired Tuesday.

— erin jensen, USA TODAY, "This 13-year-old slayed the 'America's Got Talent' judges with a Janis Joplin-like performance," 13 June 2018
But the episode that aired on June 1 enraged some Indians.

— New York Times, "Priyanka Chopra, ‘Quantico’ Star, Apologizes for Show’s Terrorism Plotline," 11 June 2018
Let’s celebrate the shows that aired during that glorious time in 2003 right here.

— refinery29.com, "Celebrating The 15th Anniversary Of The Trashiest Time In Reality TV History," 11 June 2018
That’s exactly what Madaleno did, in an ad that first aired during Fox & Friends on Thursday morning.

— natasha bach, Fortune, "'Take That, Trump': Maryland Governor Candidate Gives Same-Sex Kiss in a Campaign Ad First," 8 June 2018
The candidates will be questioned by a trio of panelists from The Baltimore Sun, WJZ-TV and the University of Baltimore’s Schaefer Center for Public Policy during a debate that will air at 6 p.m. on WJZ-TV.

— erin cox, baltimoresun.com, "Democratic candidates for Maryland governor to debate today as campaign enters final stretch," 5 June 2018
In an interview with Vice News that aired on HBO last year, Gosar raised far-right conspiracy theories.

— yvonne wingett sanchez, azcentral, "McCain co-author: Rep. Gosar 'dumbass' over Cindy McCain talk; Gosar responds 'piss off'," 2 June 2018
My mom and dad were on location for the episode that aired last night.

— alyssa fiorentino, House Beautiful, "7 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Trading Spaces," 1 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of air

see ¹air

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1530

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

air Synonyms

Synonyms

expound, express, give, look, raise, sound, state, vent, ventilate, voice;

Antonyms

stifle, suppress;

Near Antonyms

censor, restrain, restrict;

broadcast, circulate, disseminate, publish;

describe, write, write up;

sound off, speak out, speak up;

chime in;

communicate, convey, put across, put over;

offer, submit;

Phrases

give air to, put forth;

Synonym Discussion of air

express, vent, utter, voice, broach, air mean to make known what one thinks or feels. express suggests an impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces.

- expressed her feelings in music

vent stresses a strong inner compulsion to express especially in words.

- a tirade venting his frustration

utter implies the use of the voice not necessarily in articulate speech.

- utter a groan

voice does not necessarily imply vocal utterance but does imply expression or formulation in words.

- an editorial voicing their concerns

broach adds the implication of disclosing for the first time something long thought over or reserved for a suitable occasion.

- broached the subject of a divorce

air implies an exposing or parading of one's views often in order to gain relief or sympathy or attention.

- publicly airing their differences

AIR Defined for English Language Learners

air

noun

Definition of air for English Language Learners

: the invisible mixture of gases (such as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the Earth and that people and animals breathe
: the space or sky that is filled with air
: methods of travel that involve flying

air

verb

Definition of air for English Language Learners

: to place something in an open area where there is a lot of moving air to make it cool, dry, or clean
: to allow air from the outside to enter something (such as a room) so that it becomes fresher or cleaner
: to make (something) known in public : to state (something) publicly

AIR Defined for Kids

air

noun \ ˈer \

Definition of air for Students

1 : the invisible mixture of odorless tasteless gases that surrounds the earth

2 : the space or sky that is filled with air

The balloon rose up into the air.

3 : air that is compressed

I filled the car's tires with air.

4 : outward appearance : a quality that a person or thing has

He has an air of mystery about him.

5 : aircraft

travel by air

6 : aviation 1

7 : a radio or television broadcast

He gave a speech on the air.

8 airs plural : an artificial way of acting

put on airs

air

verb

Definition of air for Students

aired; airing

1 : to place in the air for cooling, freshening, or cleaning

air blankets

2 : to make known in public

air complaints

Medical Dictionary

air

noun \ ˈa(ə)r, ˈe(ə)r \

medical Definition of air

: a mixture of invisible odorless tasteless sound-transmitting gases that is composed by volume chiefly of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, 0.03 percent carbon dioxide, varying amounts of water vapor, and minute amounts of rare gases (as helium), that surrounds the earth with half its mass within four miles of the earth's surface, that has a pressure at sea level of about 14.7 pounds per square inch, and that has a density of 1.293 grams per liter at 0°C and 760 mm pressure