aviation

noun, often attributive

avi·a·tion | \ ˌā-vē-ˈā-shən

, ˌa-\

Definition of aviation

1 : the operation of aircraft a pioneer in the early days of aviation a career in aviation sometimes, specifically : the operation of heavier-than-air aircraft … the basic division of human flight into aviation (heavier-than-air flight) with its aviators, and aerostation (lighter-than-air flight) with its aeronauts. — Charles H. Gibbs-Smith

2 : military airplanes carrier-based aviation

3 : airplane manufacture, development, and design By that time, [Theodore P.] Wright already had established himself as a leading figure in American aviation.— Michael Rothschild

Examples of aviation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To understand aviation is to have a deeper grasp of Turrell and his work. — Jay Cheshes, WSJ, "James Turrell’s New Masterpiece in the Desert," 14 Jan. 2019 Turbojet engines use aviation fuel and their range can be extended simply by increasing the size of the fuel tank. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Report: Russia Designing Cruise Missiles with 3,000 Mile Range," 8 Jan. 2019 But as of Friday, the new low carbon standards in California also include a provision for credits to be issued to producers of alternative aviation fuels. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "California amends rules to push vehicles toward hydrogen, electricity, biofuel," 30 Sep. 2018 The Commerce Department is charged with overseeing sales of other sensitive materials, including aviation fuel that can be used to power ballistic missiles. and toxins that are key ingredients to chemical weapons. — Annie Linskey, BostonGlobe.com, "Donald Trump wants to make foreign arms sales easier," 23 June 2018 Headed by former secretary of state William Rogers, the Rogers Commission included Neil Armstrong, Sally Ride, Chuck Yeager, Nobel Prize– winning physicist Richard Feynman, and other experts in aeronautics, aviation, and disaster analysis. — Margaret Lazarus Dean, Popular Mechanics, "The Oral History of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster," 28 Jan. 2019 Decarbonizing transportation will involve radically accelerating the spread of electric vehicles, possibly by banning gasoline and diesel vehicle sales by 2030, and figuring out what to do with aviation and heavy transport. — David Roberts, Vox, "The Green New Deal, explained," 21 Dec. 2018 And the ministers asked the United States to refrain from punishing firms in certain commercial sectors, including energy, auto manufacturing, aviation, infrastructure and pharmaceuticals. — NBC News, "U.S. refuses European requests for exemptions from its new sanctions on Iran," 14 July 2018 Addressing Florida’s infrastructure needs — water supply, roads, bridges, ports, aviation, wastewater, stormwater, and coastlines. — miamiherald, "Leigh-Ann Buchanan," 30 June 2018

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