aviation

noun

avi·​a·​tion ˌā-vē-ˈā-shən 

ˌa-

often attributive

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

Fascinated from that moment on by aviation, [John] Montgomery pursued pioneering experiments in the design of a heavier-than-air glider …

—Kevin Starr

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

But pilots and aviation experts say such warnings have been increasingly sparking alarm in cockpits as bogus signals from global positioning satellites hit commercial flights. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026

Over the last 50 years, she's created seven giant scrapbooks highlighting her aviation career, most as a volunteer. —Rina Nakano, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026

With this mission, XPRO Jet Charters is working to position itself as a symbol of private aviation luxury. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

The personnel involved have been suspended from flight duties while the Army reviews the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol and approval requirements. —Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin avis

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aviation

• general aviation

Rhymes for aviation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

aviation

noun

avi·​a·​tion ˌā-vē-ˈā-shən 

ˌav-ē-

: the operation of aircraft (as airplanes or helicopters) that are heavier than air